


Crash and Burn

by therealsIN



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama & Romance, Dysfunctional Family, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mutual Pining, Protective Connor, Protective Hank, Slow Burn, Spoilers, mother reader, possessive ex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-05-23 11:20:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 24,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14933258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therealsIN/pseuds/therealsIN
Summary: You escaped with your six-year-old son, Oliver, from your abusive ex-boyfriend after long eight years of captivity by that horrible monster. No money, no car, no food and no home, you ran to the one person that you know that will take you in-- your father, Hank Anderson.All you wanted was to give your son a loving family, it wasn't a surprise that your father wanted that too and became the grumpy grandfather, what was a surprise was that an android named Connor adapted to the father role.





	1. it's a long story

You replayed this moment in your head one million times before, you came up with one million possibilities to how you could handle this, you made promises to yourself that you wouldn't hesitate to run in once you were free from his hold or escaped from it. You made a promise to not turn back, so why was it suddenly getting hard to breathe?

You couldn't find the strength to lift your foot and take a step forward, you couldn't find the courage to move at all, so here you are, standing in front of the Detroit Police Department, a few meters away from the entrance and completely frozen as paranoia took a hold of you. You could only move your head left and right, frantic (Eye Colour) eyes searched their surroundings for any signs of that horrifyingly familiar face. 

You thought you saw his face in the crowd, but you assured yourself that it can't be him. He's at work. There's no way he caught on already. He doesn't know.

He doesn't know.

He doesn't...

But what if he does?

What if he came home because he forgot something and found the place empty? 

What if he found out that you escaped?

What if he... _finds you_?

Oh, he won't forgive you. He won't take your offer of sex in exchange for him not to hurt you, instead, he'll break you worse than he ever has before. He'll break your legs so you won't ever leave him again, he'll even snap your arms in half so there isn't a chance for you to crawl away. He'll lock you up in the basement, he'll you chain to the drain and leave you starving and dehydrated for days until he finally remembers he left you there. 

Oh god... He might even kill you.

Why did you even leave in the first place?

Fear began to surge through your veins as you made the frantic decision to turn around and go straight back home, but before you could take a step back, you felt a tug on your right hand.

You looked down to your right and found your reason to why you were risking your life. A little boy with dark brown hair and precious blue eyes stared up at you with worry. He turned towards you and held your right hand with both of his smaller ones, "Mommy? Are you okay?"

Oliver.

That's right.

You escaped with Oliver.

You escaped for your six-year-old son. 

You escaped so he would have a chance of a happy childhood. You're risking everything so your son doesn't have to hide in the closet while that monster decorates your fragile body in purple patches. You're doing this for Oliver, you can't back down now, you're all he has left.

You smiled weakly at him, turning to him and crouching down to meet his gaze, you lift your left hand and placed it gently against his cheek, softly rubbing your thumb against his skin, "I'm okay. Are you okay?"

Oliver nodded his head, "I'm fine, mommy."

You ran your hand through his dark hair before standing up and turning back to the entrance of the building, "It'll all be over soon. We'll be safe."

"Safe from dad?"

You nodded slowly, "Yeah..."

The boy stared up at you before giving your hand a tiny squeeze, "Okay."

You took a deep breath before taking a step forward, gathering all of the courage that Oliver gave you and made your way inside. You manoeuvred past the other civilians and androids, you walked up to the free receptionist that greeted you with a smile, "Good morning, how may I help you?"

"Hi..." You croaked out, you took a minute to clear your throat, "I-I'm looking for Hank Anderson. Is... Is he in?"

"Yes." She nodded, "Do you have an appointment?"

You shook your head, "No... No, I don't. Can... Can you just inform him that I'm here? It won't be long. I just... I just really need to speak with him."

She stared at you, you knew you sounded desperate with that plead, but you really were. It felt like you were running out of time, as if any second now, that man would burst through those doors and grab you and drag you all the way back to that shitty house. You squeezed Oliver's hand as you pleased, "Please?"

She took a moment, but nodded, "Of course, I will inform him that you are waiting for him. Can I have your name?"

"Oh, uh... (Name) Anderson." You quickly uttered out.

She nodded before gesturing to the waiting area, "Please take a seat. He will be right with you in a moment."

"Thank you." You mumbled before turning around. You guided Oliver to an empty seat and he climbed up onto it. He sat down and you crouched down in front of him, you rubbed his arms and smiled softly at him, "Everything's okay."

Oliver stared at you before reaching out and hugging you. You were left silent, holding back the tears that were threatening to spill. It was Oliver's habit to hug you whenever you were having a rough time. Every time his father would finish decorating you in purple, he would come out of the closet in the bedroom and join you by your side. He would climb into your lap and just hug you as you cried softly. He wouldn't say anything, he would just stay there in your arms until you both felt better. 

Sometimes Oliver seemed more mature than you.

You hugged him tightly, "I love you, Oliver. I love you so much."

"I love you too, mommy."

There was a brief silence before the sound of rushed footsteps caught her attention. There, by the gates, you saw him. The man you haven't seen in eight years since that monster persuaded you to live with him.

Your father. 

He stood in front of the gates, breathing heavily and staring at you with widened eyes. Your bottom lip quivered as you slowly pulled away from Oliver. You stood up and you opened your mouth to say something, you wanted to say that he was right about  _him_ , you wanted to say you were so sorry, but he didn't even give you the chance. He stormed right up to you and pulled you into his arms, squeezing you tightly, "(Name)..."

You buried your head in his shoulder, taking in the smell of alcohol and bad cologne, it wasn't a pleasant smell, but it smelt like home. Your breath hitched, "Dad, I--!"

He pulled away, “Where in the fucking world have you been?!”  


He held your shoulders tightly, “Do you know how worried I have been for the past few years?! I tried visiting that dump your boyfriend lives at but he was gone too. Where the fuck have you been?!”

“I—!”

“Mommy?”

You two stopped and looked over to Oliver, who was now standing up and holding onto your right leg. Hank slowly looked back up to you and you pressed a weak smile, “It’s… a long story.”


	2. his name is connor

It's been an entire week since you ran to your father for help and shelter. And he was more than happy to take you and Oliver in. You promised him that you wouldn't bother him for long, just long enough for you to get a job and put Oliver back into elementary school, but Hank insisted that the both of you should stay and consider the home as your permanent ones. And so, your domestic life began...

At least you tried.

You felt safe in the house, but there was always a nagging feeling that the walls had eyes and ears. Doing little things around the house, like airing out the house or taking out the trash, it horrifies you. Every time you turn to lift a window, unhinging it and pulling it up, you fear that when you look out the window or take a breath or fresh air,  _Elias_ , that monster, would be across the street and watching you. 

Taking out the trash took more courage than necessary. Like opening the window, you feared that Elias would be waiting for you by the trashcan or one of his  _men_ would be watching you and reporting back to him. Whenever the mailman came around and would knock on the door, you would never answer it. Who knows could be behind that door?

Elias. 

His henchmen.

Or it could really just be the mailman... but it wasn't a risk you're prepared to take-- not when Oliver is eating a grilled sandwich in the living room. 

While you tried to look for a stable job, Oliver is left to be homeschooled by both you and Hank. You would try to teach him and Hank would try to help, but it would never end up with Oliver actually learning  _valuable_ information. In fact, the boy started to mimic your father as much as he could. When Hank would be lounging on the couch, drinking a bottle of beer, Oliver would sit next to him chugging down a bottle of orange juice or soda. 

It was cute... for the most part.

Despite the occasional rise of fear and paranoia, you felt safe for once. You felt that you finally have a chance to be a good mother for Oliver by giving him a proper childhood and a happy family. A family doesn't need a father, that's what you liked to tell yourself, but that changed when you met...  _him._

It happened near eight in the night. You were about to tuck Oliver in for the night, but he insisted that he wanted to sleep with Sumo next to him. You tried calling him, but Sumo didn't seem to answer, so you decided to go and get him yourself. You got up from the bed and left the room, Oliver chasing after you.

You made your way down the hall, the flickered the lights back on in the living room and you froze when you heard a sound of breaking glass and a thud a moment later. You first instinct was to push Oliver behind you, holding him close to your legs as possible, you heard a man's muffled voice and the sound of Sumo huffing. You took a step forward and removed Oliver from you, "Ollie, go wake up your grandpa."

The boy nodded and scurried off to Hank's room. 

You took careful steps forward, your heart was racing as you began to believe what you were fearing of happening was actually happening. When you turn that corner, you will either see Elias himself or one of his men that broke in to get you and Oliver back.

You gathered whatever courage you had left and grabbed the closest weapon you could find, a lamp. You yanked it out from it's socket and held the pole close to your chest, you gripped it tightly as you let out a quiet breath, you counted down to three before you jumped out from the corner, facing the kitchen.

You found an android. He had dark brown hair and peachy coloured skin. He wore a grey coloured jacket, on his right chest, in white letters it said,  _RK800._ He wore a white dress shirt underneath the jacket and a darkly coloured tie. His LED flashed a yellow when his brown eyes landed on you. You glanced past him, noticing the broken window, your eyes flickered back to him.

You were shaking as you tried to make yourself sound stronger and more confident, “I-I have a lamp and I’m not afraid to use it!”

The android didn’t seem to _understand_ . He just stared at you, making you feel very uncomfortable, it was like he was trying to memorize every single detail of your face and figure. You grabbed the lamp tighter as you backed up and he moved forward, “St-Stay away! Did _he_ send you?!”

The android finally made his move, “I’m not here to hurt you.”

You stared at him with a look of disbelief, “You just— You broke in through the window!”

“I’m look for Lieutenant Anderson.” He raised his hands up towards you, moving them in a way that someone soothes a wild animal. You frowned, your grip on the lamp and your tremor still strong, “W-What?”

As if on cue, Hank came scrambling out of his room, followed by Oliver, with his revolver in his hands, “(Name), you alright?!”

Both you and the android turned to Hank and when his eyes went from you and the lamp to the the android, he let out a groan, “The fuck are you doing in my house?!”

“He came through the window!” You exclaimed, “I-I thought Elias sent him and I…”

Hank placed the gun on a shelf and walked over to you, he removed the lamp from your tight grip and hugged you. You were shaking as you gripped his shirt. He rubbed your back soothingly, “You’re safe now.”

He glanced over to the android and pulled away from you, “Again, what the fuck are you doing in my house?!”

“A case came in 49 minutes ago. I believe we should go and check it out.” He replied nonchalantly, “I wasn’t aware that you had company.”

He looked you up and down, and you then only realized just how bare you really were. You were wearing some shorts and a white t-shirt without a bra. You began to feel self-conscious about it and you slowly lowered the white shirt even more.

Oliver ran over to you and hid behind your legs, you reached over and rubbed his back, “Are you okay, mommy?”

You nodded slowly, “Yeah… Yeah, I’m okay, baby.”

The androids eyes shifted over to Oliver, he stared at your son for a while before his eyes flickered back over to you. He took a step forward, and on instinct you took a step back, and it didn’t go unnoticed, “I apologize for my rash behaviour. My name is Connor. I’m the android sent by Cyberlife to investigate all cases regarding android deviancy. I am Lieutenant Anderson’s partner.”

“O-Oh, I’m (Name) Anderson.” You gestured to Oliver hiding behind you, “And this is my son, Oliver.”

He didn’t seem like a bad guy… he just seemed a tad naive. At the sound of _android_ and _Cyberlife_ , Oliver’s eyes gleamed. He’s never met an android personally, he’s always wanted to be friends with one, and now there’s one standing in the living room.

Connor nodded, “Yes, I am aware.”

“Um… how—!”

“One of my many features include the ability to identify individuals through facial recognition.” He explained.

Oliver suddenly ran towards Connor, “What else can you do?!”

Connor stared at him before answering, “I am programmed to adapt to human predict—!”

“Alright, that’s enough.” Hank scoffed, “You know what time it is, kid? Get back to bed.”

“But pops—!”

You cut in, “Oliver, he’s right. Let’s get you back into bed.”

You moved around Hank to guide your son away from Connor and into the hallway, shuffling towards your room, you glanced over to the android and pressed a smile, “It was nice meeting you, Connor.”

His LED went yellow to a light blue before answering you, “I look forward to meeting you again—!”

“Oh no, you won’t.” Hank huffed.

Their conversation became muffled as you entered your own room and shut the door behind you. You put Oliver back in bed and as he lied back down he asked, “Can we see Connor again?”

You shrugged, “I don’t know, baby.”

“Can we ask pops to invite him over sometimes?”

You tucked him in, “If you be a good boy and sleep, then maybe he will.”

In an instant, Oliver shut his eyes and you laughed softly to yourself. You ran your hands through his dark hair as you thought back to all the emotions you felt when Connor came crashing through the window.

Fear.

You really thought Elias sent one of his _guys_ to get you. You thought you were done with thinking about him and done with letting fear control— you needed to be strong for Oliver— but the sinking feel that these walls of eyes and ears will never leave you.

Your thoughts drifted off to Connor.

It wouldn't hurt to meet him again... right?

* * *

Bonus:

Hank parked the car by the Eden Club.

There was a moment of silence before he turned to Connor, “What do you think of my daughter?”

Connor’s LED flashed yellow and red then blue, he turned his head to the front, nodding his head slowly as he picked his words carefully, “I believe that she is a very maternal woman. Her first instinct was to protect her son when she felt threatened—!”

“Yeah, well, don’t think about trying anything with—!”

“And I find her very pleasing to look at.”

"For fucksake."


	3. cyberlife can wait a few more hours

_You were dressed in black. You wore the black cocktail dress that[Elias](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/17/55/19/175519bd4db872ded0a8a9324767b7bd--digital-portrait-digital-art-guy.jpg) gave you on your 2nd year anniversary. You had your hair up, neatly done and away from your face, you were about to make your way to the front door of the house, when you heard his voice._

_"Where are you going?"_

_Your hand froze above the doorknob, you eyes shaking as you turned towards the voice._

_Standing in the hallway was Elias. He had slightly tanned skin, black hair and darkly coloured blue eyes. He was leaning against the doorway that led to the living room, he had his arms crossed over his muscular chest, his fit figure really was on display with that black rolled up long sleeve he was wearing. His hair was pushed to his left, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at you. You bit your lip, "I'm... I'm going to Cole's funeral..."_

_He didn't respond, he just looked you up and down and you began to feel self-conscious. The cocktail dress fitted you well, it really brought out your feminine figure, but in all honestly, despite the dress being really pretty, you wished you had something else to wear. You cautiously brought your left arm and moved it across your stomach, you held your right arm with your left hand. Rubbing your arm as you avoided eye contact with him._

_He let out a huff, "You're going looking like that?"_

_He was angry._

_He approached you and you backed up against the front door. You lowered your head, your shoulders trembling, your eyes darting everywhere as fear surged through you. He placed a hand against the door, trapping you between him and the door, he leaned in, "You're not going to a fucking funeral."_

_"Elias no..." You whimpered, "Please..."_

_He left his left hand and hooked a finger underneath your chin, he forced you to lift your head and look at him, at this point, you were shaking uncontrollably. You felt your legs go weak as you realized it was a horrible idea to even think that you would be able to leave the house-- even if it was for your younger brother's funeral._

_"You're going to see another man... aren't you?"_

_You shook your head quickly, "No... no... no! I-I would never! I-I love you Elias! I really do--!"_

_He suddenly slipped his left hand away from your chin and wrapped his fingers around your fragile neck. The bruise from before didn't heal yet._

_You let out a strangled gasp as he squeezed ever so slightly, leaning close, his breath against your cheek as he whispered, crushing your body with his own, "You're mine. You hear me, (Name). You're never going to fucking leave me."_

_You lifted your shaking hands up, placing them on his left arm as you choked out pleads for mercy, "Y-Yes, Elias... Please... I can't... b-breathe."_

_He let you go, taking a few steps back to watch you fall to the ground and gasping for air like a fish out of water. Your chest heaved, you took in deep breaths, your head spinning as you tried to calm yourself down. You heard him walk away from you, and just when you thought it was over, he came back, but something metallic was being dragged against the wooden floor behind him._

_You looked up and your heart stopped._

_He was carrying a metal bat. Your bottom lip quivered, "Elias..."_

_He glared down at you, "I'm going to teach you lesson... So you'll never think of leaving me again."_

_You expected him to lift the bad up and bash your skull, but that wasn't what he did. He turned and started to walk up the stairs. You were confused, but then it snapped. You realized where he was going and your heart sunk._

_Oliver._

_He's going to the nursery._

_He's going to kill Oliver._

_He's going to kill your three year old._

_You threw yourself up, your instincts kicked in as you chased after him, your heart pounding as you called out to him, "Elias! Elias no!"_

_You ran up the stairs and you grabbed his arm, pulling back with all your might, "No! Elias, leave Oliver alone! Please!"_

_You were crying and sobbing as you used all your strength to hold him back, but he was much more stronger than you and bigger, he ignored your please and kept walking. You couldn't stop him._

_You can't._

_He's going to kill your baby._

_So, you did the only thing you could do._

_You slipped past him and bolted up the stairs and sprinted towards the nursery. You heard him shout, "(Name)! Get back here, you bitch!"_

_You ran into the nursery, you shut the door, locked it and barricaded it with the white dresser against the wall. You stared at the wall, backing up, praying that it would hold. You then turned to Oliver who was sleeping peacefully in his bed. You walked over to the bed, your hands shaking as you brushed his soft dark hair back. You heard Elias' footsteps get closer and you raised a hand, and gently placed it against Oliver's ear._

_You shut your eyes as it began._

_He was banging on the door._

_He was screaming death threats._

_And moments later, he would try to coerce you into opening the door for him. He would apologize for his behaviour. He would tell you it would never happen again. And if that didn't work, he would begin breaking down the door._

_In that dark room, sitting next to your sleeping three-year-old, you sobbed quietly to yourself._

_You can't ever escape._

* * *

You were jolted awake.

Someone was shaking your shoulder, you sat up in fear, backing up against the headboard of the bed, as your eyes adjusted to the dark. You saw a glowing yellow circle that became blue moments later, you were met with a familiar face, Connor.

"It's alright. It's me, Connor." He had his arms up again, holding them out in a way that he did before, a motion of soothing a frightened animal.

"C-Connor?" You uttered out in confusion. 

You thought you were in the nursery back at the old house. You thought you were hiding from Elias... you thought you were protecting Oliver...

It was just a nightmare.

He stared at you for a moment before he quietly said, "I'm sorry for waking you, but Lieutenant Anderson has passed out in the living room from drinking. I came to ask if you can offer your assistance."

Your eyes slowly moved from Connor's face to the digital clock on the drawer,  _2:37 am._

You shut your eyes, letting out a heavy breath before nodding, "Ah, y-yeah. I'll... be right out."

He gave you a firm nod before turning around and leaving the room.

You waited until he left, watching him close the door, before turning over to your left, spotting Oliver sleeping next to you-- undisturbed.

You licked your dry lips, relief filling you as you repeated a few words to keep you calm.

You're safe now.

You're living with your father.

Oliver is safe.

You're safe.

You reached over, running a hand through his dark hair before placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. You then removed the blanket from your body and got out of bed, turning around to tuck Oliver in. You made your way out of the door, you squinted a little from the bright light emitting from the hallway. You quietly shut the door behind you and continued to the living room.

You found Connor trying to explain to a drunk Hank why he should not sleep on the living room floor.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but you really should not sleep on the floor. I analyzed the state of your floor, and it consists of 24% dog hair, 36% dust, 27% food crumbs and 13% human skin. I advise you not to lie face first against it."

Hank poorly shoved Connor's arms away, "No one asked you!"

Connor noticed your presence by the doorway and you quickly joined him by Hank's side, "Dad... dad...?"

He stirred at the sound of your voice, "Hmm? (Name)... wh-hy are you awake?"

"Connor, help me lift him?" You took his right side and Connor took his left. You counted down to three before the both of you worked together to lift Hank off the floor. Hank was confused as he looked left to right, he turned to Connor, letting out drunken slurs and threats, "Don't go near my little girl, ya damn android!"

Connor tilted his head a little bit with an innocent look on his face, "You don't have a little girl, Lieutenant. If you are referring to (Name), she is a grown woman who is capable of making her own decisions."

"You-oo bastard!" Hank tried to shake Connor off, but Connor held a firm grip on him.

"Come on, dad." You chuckled softly, "Connor is a good guy. He could have left you at whatever bar you were at, but he brought you home."

"Ahh, humph." He grunted as you all reached his bedroom door.

"Connor, can you please hold him up for me."

He nodded, he held Hank up as you let him go. You turned to the door and opened it up, you walked into the room, stepping to the side as Connor led drunk Hank in. You gestured to the bed, "Can you keep him upright?"

He complied as you walked off, walking out of the room and making your way to the kitchen. You opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water. You grabbed a somewhat smelly towel, you dipped it in cold water, before taking both the wet towel and the water bottle back to the room.

When you returned, you found Hank sitting on the floor leaning against the bed as Connor stood next to him. He was insisting that you told him specifically to sit on the bed, "(Name), has told me that you need to be seated upright on the bed, please do not make this anymore difficult, Lieutenant."

Your father waved him off, "Go away-- thi-s time I'll really shoot ya!"

"Dad, stop being difficult." You sighed as you placed the towel and bottle down on the stand next to the bed. 

Connor watched as you delicately helped your father up to sit on the bed. He didn't struggle as much when Connor attempted to help him up. He watched, his head tilted to the side, watching your process curiously.

He took note that the white shirt must not belong to you, especially since the shirt dipped down every time you leaned forward, revealing your cleavage that Connor could most definitely see-- he deducted that you must have really soft skin.

He watched you take the water bottle, opened it and held it up to Hank's mouth, "Drink."

Hank grunted but did as he was told. He grabbed the bottle from you and chugged down some water. Once he finished, you took the bottle from him and helped him lie down on his back. Once he was down, you picked up the wet towel and placed it against his hot forehead, he groaned, "It's cold!"

"Don't be a baby." You chuckled.

You had a very caring expression on your face. Connor made note that you must have a very tolerant personality, especially since you're able to deal with a very drunk Hank. He also made a note about how different you are compared to your father. Hank was more... vulgar and rough around the edges, while you seemed to be the complete opposite. You had more of a temperance personality. You were tolerant, caring, and very maternal. While Hank seemed very destructive, you seemed to be the... reconstructive type. You seemed gentle and delicate, very comparable to a blooming rose-- soft, beautiful and enchanting.

It was strange for Connor.

The other humans that he has crossed paths with seemed nothing like you.

He'll have to look into it later.

Hank seemed to have dozed off as you finished caring for him. You wiped your wet hands against your shorts, "He seems okay for now. I'll have to check on him later."

Connor nodded, "I should take my leave then. Thank you for your assistance."

You glanced over to the digital clock,  _2:50 am._

You hesitated for a second, watching him make his way out of the room, but you decided to go for it. You called out to him, "Connor, wait!"

He stopped at the doorway of the room, he turned to you with a curious look on his face, "Yes?"

"You... You should stay the night." You slowly looked up at him, your eyes locked with his brown ones. He remained silent for a moment, you noticed his LED flashing again, yellow to red, red to yellow. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, "I am merely an android. I must return to Cyberlife to finish my report."

You licked your lips, "It's late, Connor. It's almost three in morning. I think... I think Cyberlife can wait a few more hours."

"Androids don't sleep, Ms. Anderson--!"

"Call me (Name), Connor. Ms. Anderson seems... too much." You chuckled softly.

"Of course, (Name). But as I was saying, androids don't sleep. It's more efficient this way." 

You shrugged, "But that doesn't mean you guys can't, right?"

He was struck silent.

Why did you seem to be so persistent for him stay?

He stared at you again, he was staring for a quite a long time... androids don't blink right?

The longer he stared at you, the more uncomfortable you felt, you pressed your lips into a thin line as you avoided his gaze, trying to look elsewhere as he looked nowhere else but at you. There was a long silence before he answered, "Perhaps you are correct. Cyberlife... can wait a little longer."

You cracked a small smile, "Alright, I can set something up for you in the living room."

You walked past him and made your way down the hallway. 

Connor watched you go.

Maybe spending time with you will further help him understand Hank and how to deal with him. If he can learn a few things from you, it may benefit him in the long run when they're investigating cases. This is the perfect opportunity to get to know you better.

And he definitely won't let this opportunity pass him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i linked a picture of elias on his name so if you're curious to what he looks like, it's there for you. this story will somewhat try to follow the game's storyline with a few minor changes like adding small events, but it won't impact the game's original storyline dramatically. also, thank you so much for your support and i look forward to see all of you in the next chapter. :D


	4. is this pillow talk?

Connor watched you pat the couch before spreading out a white blanket over it, "The couch is a little dirty. This blanket will keep some of that dirt off of you... hopefully."

You placed a pillow on one end of the couch, before stepping back and glancing over to Connor, "I'll get you a blanket."

"That's not necessary--!"

You didn't let him finish, you were already walking away to get a spare blanket. You walked into your own room, quickly checking on Oliver, before grabbing a spare grey coloured blanket. As you folded the blanket over your arm, you began to question your actions, what in the hell were you doing?

You're forcing an android to sleep over. 

You might be the first human to have ever done this. 

The more you thought about it, the more stupider it made you feel. You sighed, it's too late to change your mind anyway, with your mind set, you quietly left the room. You made sure to leave the door just a little bit open just in case Oliver needs something. As you made your way to the living room, you made sure to check on your father as well. You popped your head in quickly and found that he was still fast asleep. You left his door slightly opened too.

When you entered the living room, you found Conner sitting on the couch and having a staring contest with Sumo. You smiled a little, you took a few moments, you lingered by the doorway before walking towards him. You set the blanket down beside him, "Here you go."

"Thank you, (Name). You are... too kind." He turned to you.

He was sitting awkwardly, his back straight, a little bit off the couch, and his hands on his lap-- he looked very... professional.

You rubbed your hands together, "Is there anything else I can get you?"

A human serving an android.

What a strange situation it was for Connor.

"Yes, there is. You wouldn't mind if I bother you for a while longer?" Connor turned his body towards you and you furrowed your brows in confusion, "Um... What?"

His eyes flickered over to the spot next to him, the empty space on the other side of the folded blanket, you followed his gaze. Your eyes moved back and forth, from Connor to the empty space, and your eyes widened in realization. You pointed towards your chest, "O-Oh... You want to talk to me?"

Connor nodded, "If you don't mind."

You nervously licked your lips before shaking your head, "N-No, of course."

You slowly sat down, your hands rubbing against each other as you basked in the sudden silence between the two of you. You bit the inside of your cheek as you tried to think of a conversation starter. You've never really been good with social interaction... especially since it's nearly been eight years since you talked to someone without being supervised...

You sucked in a breath as you turned to him, your sudden movement caught his attention and he turned to you, "So, um... wanna tell me about yourself, Connor?"

"You want to know more about me?" Connor asked curiously.

You nodded slowly, "Um, yeah. I would... like to get to know you better."

"I see." Connor leaned back against the couch a bit, loosening his posture, "I am the most advance prototype created by Cyberlife. I was built to investigate deviancy in androids and put a stop to it. I was also built with various features, such as--!"

You cut him off, "No, Connor... I don't want to know what you were built with or what you were built for. I mean... that's great and all... but... I want to know more about  _you._ "

He furrowed his brows, he was clearly confused, "I don't understand."

You paused for a moment, trying to find the right words to explain to him, "I... don't want to know about your... software. I want to know more about _you_ as... _a person_."

He was still confused. He simply just stared at you, his LED flared yellow as he tried to process what you were saying. For the  _most advance prototype Cyberlife has ever created_ , he's pretty clueless.

"Um, for example. What type of music do you like to listen to?" You asked.

"I don't listen to music, but that is something I would like to try. Do you have any recommendations for me?"

He flipped the question back at you, you were flustered, "Oh, I don't listen to music that much... either."

"Then we should listen to music. We can discover what we are attracted to together."

You bit your lip, he really shouldn't say it like that. That friendly offer could be taken in a different direction without any context. You just bobbed your head, "Yeah, that'll be fun."

Cue the awkward silence.

This was a bad idea.

The two of you sat in awkward silence before you got up, "How about some television?"

You turned it on and kept the volume on low. You then made your way to the kitchen, "Would you like some tea?"

It came out before you could stop yourself. You just asked an android if he would like some tea. Androids don't drink or eat. The more you thought about it, the more embarrassed you became. Why did you even ask?

He's obviously going to say--!

"If you won't mind." He smiled ever so slightly.

**Warm.**

You were left stunned for a moment before smiling back at him, "... Okay."

You disappeared into the kitchen and began to boil some water. You rested against the counter, calming yourself down and occasionally stealing glances at the android sitting in the living room. He was watching you.

You could see him watching you and you can also feel his stare against your back. 

It made you slightly nervous, but for some reason... something changed.

You took two mugs from the cupboards, they were very decorative... Hank got them for you when you first moved back in. One of the cups was light brown with a dog face on it and the other was a porcelain white with a cat face and little ears. If you had it your way, you wouldn't have picked those two mugs to serve some tea in, but all the more _professional_ mugs were dirty and in the sink. 

You'll have to settle with these ones.

Connor must have stopped staring at you because you could hear him walking around in the living room. He was inspecting all the little things scattered around the room. When you returned to the living room, he sat back down on the couch and you joined him. You held out the dog mug to him and he took it into his hands, "Watch out, it's a little hot--!"

He just grabbed it by the base and you pressed a smile, you forgot, he doesn't really feel pain, "... Right, enjoy."

You took a seat next to him, holding the mug carefully with both hands and pulling your legs up onto the cushion as you trained your eyes on the television.

_"The deviant android and the little girl still hasn't been found. The local police has released images of the deviant android and the little girl crossing a dangerous highway while in pursuit by the police."_

You glanced over to Connor and found him attempting to take a sip of the tea. You watched him curiously, he was slow, almost cautious, as he tipped the cup and the liquid poured into his mouth. He closed his mouth, staring straight ahead for a moment before he placed the cup down and turned to you, "Jasmine tea, more specifically it's the common blend using a green tea base. It has various benefits upon drinking it. I assume you are a very healthy individual."

"Hardly." You laughed softly, "I just found that in the cupboards, but it's nice to know I'm not completely killing my body."

He stared at you, "You are not killing your body at all, (Name). You appear to be in a very healthy state."

You snorted a bit, "That was a joke, Connor."

"Oh." He straightened his posture, his very concerned expression dropped, "I see."

You placed your mug down on the coffee table and pulled your legs back up to your chest, you leaned slightly in his direction, "You don't joke that much do you?"

He fully turned to you, "I have more than one thousand jokes programmed into my memory. Would you like hear them?"

"I have to warn you, I know a lot of jokes." You smiled, "But sure, shoot."

He frowned, shoot you?

Seeing his confused expression on his face, you laughed again, "Shoot, in this context, means to give it a shot, as in give me your best joke."

"Ah." He nodded, "Okay. How do you kill a vegetarian vampire?"

"A steak to the heart." You hummed.

He nodded, "Correct. How does NASA organize their parties?"

"They planet." You were now completely facing Connor and he was facing you. You leaned against the couch, your arm propped against the cushions, "Connor, you're gonna have to try harder."

His LED was yellow, "Why was six afraid of seven?"

"Because seven eight nine?" You raised a brow but he shook his head, "No, because seven is a registered six offender."

You paused and you stifled out a laugh at that horribly dark joke, "Connor, that's horrible!"

His LED turned blue as he felt satisfied that he finally got you. 

The night dragged on as the two of you exchanged your best jokes, your light laughter drowned out the sound of the television and his curious gazes were trained on you. He watched you carefully, he watched your reactions at various levels of jokes. They ranged from light chuckles, to a small smile, to you shaking your head with the prettiest smile on your face. 

The conversation became more lighthearted and you soon forgot about the world around you. You were focused on him. 

Listening to him talk about the strangest of things, you would appreciate the effort he would make in mining for something to talk about, you were beginning to enjoy his company. With a friendly atmosphere surrounding the two of you, you found yourself completely relaxed. You were leaning back against the arm rest, you legs pulled up against your chest and fully facing the android. 

"So, why was my dad being so fussy about you being near me?" You tilted your head curiously, "He's not normally this protective you know. What did you do to provoke him?"

He looked off into the distance, thinking, before turning back to you, "I simply answered his question. He asked what I thought about you, and I answered with honesty."

"Oh?" You raised a brow.

"I told him that I believed you are a very maternal woman. Your first instinct was to protect your son and yourself when threatened."

Your stomach dropped a little, the only reason you felt threatened was because you feared that Elias came to get you and Oliver back. Maybe in a different time or in a different universe, maybe you wouldn't have attempted to attack Connor with a lamp. 

Seeing the sudden shit in your mood, Connor said, "But I believe he became weary of me because I said that... I found you pleasing to look at-- but in your terms, I believe I meant to say... I found you attractive."

Your eyes widened, and there was silence between you two, Connor found you attractive?

An android found you attractive.

A damn android.

They're perfect beings built in the perfect image by man themselves, they were perfectly designed to be both functional and attractive to humans, they live up to  _beauty_ standards. So, for such a  _perfect_ being to call you beautiful-- most especially since this certain android, is the most advanced prototype ever created by Cyberlife-- you can't help feel both flustered and confident at the same time.

You haven't compliment in ages.

It felt nice.

A small smile formed on your lips as you lowered your head, "T-Thanks. I... I didn't know that Cyberlife added a flirting component to you."

"Flirting?" He raised a brow, "I believe I was just expressing what everyone has on their minds."

You laughed softly, "Well then, thank you for speaking for the public. I... I didn't know that I needed to be complimented... It feels nice?"

"You hesitated. Have you never received a compliment before?" He shifted a little closer.

You shook your head, "Oh no, I mean, I used to. But... they... they just stopped coming."

Before he could question further, you asked him, "What about you? Have you ever gotten complimented?"

"A few times." Connor nodded, "Mostly they just congratulate me for a job well done."

"I see." You hummed, "Well, you should know that I also find you... attractive."

"That is natural. I was designed to work harmoniously with humans."

You scoffed, "So, you're cocky now?"

"T-That's not what I..." He stared at you and he noticed the lighthearted look on your face, he relaxed, "... That's a joke."

You nodded, "Yes, good to see you're getting it."

"I learn quickly."

You let out a soft sigh before adjusting your position on the couch. You sat straight, your back against the cushion of the couch and legs hanging over the edge. Before, you were sitting as far as possible from Connor, but now, the two of you were closer than before. All that was left between the two of you was the grey scrunched up blanket that bundled up due to your bodies shifting ever so closely to each other.

You leaned back, sinking into the couch, the quiet hum of the television drowned out the silence but the warm atmosphere never left the room. To think it only took some tea and a couple of bad jokes to get you to warm up to the android. 

You looked over to him, you meant what you said earlier, you did find him attractive. His defining jawline, those soft brown eyes, his neatly done dark brown hair, and what you found very interesting was the fact that he had a few loose strands that fell out of position, making him look slightly less professional than he's supposed to be. You found the little dishevelled details charming. 

You closed your eyes for a brief second and it only took you a second for sleep to consume you. 

You forgot how late it is. 

"(Name), I--!" He began, but when he felt a sudden weight against his left shoulder, he found you fast asleep and leaning against him. You were breathing softly and you looked much more calmer and peaceful than before. 

By that, Connor meant when he first entered your room. He didn't notice anything at first, but as he got closer, he heard you softly begging in your sleep. You were shaking and crying out the name,  _"Elias."_

You were sleeping, but you looked awfully frightened.

Connor almost didn't want to wake you, but he always didn't want to just leave Hank on the dirty floor. 

Compared to then and now, you looked at peace-- in absolute serenity.

Perhaps he should take his leave.

As he sat there, still as he could be, he debated whether or not he should get up and leave. He glanced over to the door before glancing over to you. He hesitated for a moment until he made his final decision.

He'll stay. 

He didn't want to disturb you a second time.

He carefully removed the blanket from between the two of you and he wrapped it over your body, a bit of the blanket was draped across his lap. He leaned back to loosen your posture, in which your sleeping form followed his movements, you sunk further back against the couch, but your head was still resting against his shoulder.

Connor glanced over to the clock, _4:03 am._

Maybe...

Maybe he'll watch you for a little while longer, before sending in that report. 

* * *

Bonus:

Around _7:39 am,_ Hank made his way into the living room, his head pounding as he let out moans and groans, "Fuck, I need coffee."

He was rubbing his head as he stomped is way down the hallway, but he was stopped by Oliver who was sitting by Sumo's side. The little boy called out softly to his grandfather, "Pops!"

Hank squinted, "What's up, kid?"

"Ssh!" Oliver held a finger up to his lips, hushing Hank before pointing towards the couch. Hank moved closer to look over the couch and he was shocked to find his beloved daughter sleeping next to Connor. Connor's eyes were closed, his LED flashing yellow and blue, as he sat against the couch perfectly still. 

Connor was way too close to her, closer than Hank wanted him to be. In fact, Hank wanted Connor to be more than one hundred metres away from his daughter. He doesn't even want the damn android to blink, breathe or turn in her direction. 

Oliver looked over to Hank as Hank exclaimed.

"Fuck!"


	5. level me up

Oliver sat on the ground, he was watching the two  _adults_ on the couch curiously. He was curious to why his mother looked so peaceful sleeping against Connor, and he wondered if Connor was actually sleeping or if he was pretending to sleep. He tilted his head curiously and Sumo nudged his side for attention, getting the side of his dinosaur pyjamas damp from the dog's big nose. Oliver smiled at Sumo and happily pet him, he loved dogs, he has never had a dog before, so you can imagine the joy he felt when he learned that his grandfather had a big dog.

As he pet Sumo, he asked Hank, who was sitting at the dining table, grumpily drinking coffee as he silently glared at the android leaning ever so slightly against his daughter, "Is Connor going to be my new dad?"

Hank spat out all the coffee he just took a sip of. The liquid spewed all over the table and over everything that was on it. Hank even got some on his clothes, he frantically stood up, the chair was knocked off it's legs, and Hank wiped his mouth as he assessed his newly coffee stained shirt, "Aw, fuck!"

Oliver laughed at him, "Coffee rain!"

At the sound of chaos, mostly the sudden thud of the chair hitting the kitchen floor, you jolted awake and Connor's eyes snapped open, he just finished his report to Cyberlife.

He lifted his head off of yours as you also pulled away, you were still dazed and tired from staying up last night. You slowly sat up, pushing the blanket down from your shoulders as you rubbed your eyes, you yawned, "What time is it?"

"8:21 am." Connor replied quickly.

When your form left Connor's side, so did your warmth and it began to feel a little cold, despite the fact that temperature changes shouldn't effect him significantly. Connor found himself trying to find a reasonable suggestion to why you should remain at his side. He began to calculate the best approach. 

"Good morning, mommy!" Oliver exclaimed as he scrambled up from where he sat and ran over to you. He leaped into your arms and you grunted as you caught him, "Good morning, baby."

He hugged you tightly and you squeezed him back, rocking him back and forth, "You must have been worried when I wasn't beside you. I'm sorry."

Oliver shook his head, "It's okay. Sumo was there instead!"

You pouted playfully, "Sounds like I'm going to be replaced by Sumo."

"Mommy, no!" Oliver frowned.

You laughed, "I'm kidding, Ollie."

You kissed him on the forehead and let him go, to which, he ran back to Sumo. 

Hank was in the kitchen running his stained shirt under cold water, trying to get some of the colour off of his shirt, he huffed, "You two seemed very...  _cozy._ "

You felt heat rise to your cheeks, you almost forgot that you slept against Connor, you must have made him very uncomfortable. You turned to him, about to apologize for last night, and for sleeping against him, but he spoke first, answering Hank, "Yes, I was very comfortable. (Name) makes a very good sleeping companion."

Hank's frown deepened as he mumbled, "Watch what you say, Connor. You're walking on thin ice. Why are you still even here?"

You cut in, "If you must know, dad. Connor helped you back home and I offered him to stay the night. It's the least I can do for all the trouble you put him through."

"Why am I being made the bad guy?" 

Connor pressed a smile, giving Hank a sly look as he said, "You were giving me some trouble, Lieutenant. You refused to cooperate with me, if it weren't for (Name), I wouldn't know what to do."

Hank scoffed, "You're a damn fancy tech android, wouldn't know what to do my ass. And when did you get to call 'er (Name)? Huh?"

"(Name) and I spent the night discussing various topics that have brought us closer." Connor then turned to you, "Perhaps you should sleep some more, (Name). You did sleep around four in the morning. You haven't gotten the proper amount of sleep."

"Oh no, Connor, I have to get up and make breakfast--!" You argued softly as Connor gently took a hold of your right arm and began to pull you back against the couch, "I insist, (Name). _You don't want to kill your body any further_." 

You smiled a little at that, well would you look at that, the android really was listening to you last night. You didn't try to fight Connor as he pulled you back to your original position, he turned to Hank and gestured to Oliver, "You can take Oliver to the nearest diner and grab breakfast for everyone, Lieutenant."

"Hey!" Hank snapped, "You don't get to order me--!"

"Diner! Diner!" Oliver cheered.

Connor smiled, "You don't want to disappoint, Oliver, now do you?"

There was a pause before Hank sighed loudly, "Damn android... Come on, kid. Get dressed."

Oliver continued to chant as he sprinted into his room to change, Hank chasing after him, "Hey! You're gonna hurt yourself! Stop runnin'!"

There was a brief silence between the two of you, before you spoke up, "Don't you have work? You know, as an android detective."

Connor looked away thoughtfully, before responding, "Yes, but I have been working with Lieutenant Anderson for quite a while now and there is truly no point of me being in the office if he isn't there."

"Sounds fair." You hummed, "Dad does go to work pretty late."

"I also retrieve new cases and leads directly to my software. It is more efficient." Connor added.

"Huh, so you two don't need to be in the office anyway." You nodded, you nudged his shoulder, "Well, aren't you special. I should keep you around the house then. You can keep me company..."

You suddenly realized what you said. You quickly sat up, "O-Oh, I'm sorry. I mean... I didn't mean to--!"

"I would like that." Connor cut you off, "I have found the past few hours very enjoyable. You are very... easy to talk to. I enjoy your company, (Name)."

A shy smile reached your lips, "Yeah... me too."

**Friend.**

Connor stared at you. Something has changed in the way he sees you. He's never noticed it much before, despite the fact that he stares at you a lot, but you have really beautiful eyes. They're so full of life... full of curiosity... so human. Looking at you made him realize just how fragile you are. You truly are like a rose. A rose without thorns. You don't have the intention to hurt, you're just there for everyone to bask in your beautiful presence. 

You appear to give so much away... and get little back.

Connor wants to change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> longer chapter next... i'm talkin' about around 5,000+ words LOL


	6. hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you sow connor's doubts unintentionally.

You were sitting up straight on the couch, awkwardly sitting away from Connor as Hank and Oliver entered the living room appropriately dressed. Oliver ran over to you and you gave him a kiss, "Bye, mommy!"

"Bye, baby. Stay with your grandpa." 

When Oliver pulled away, he looked over to Connor, who sat next to you silently. Oliver gazed curiously at him, there was a short silence, before the boy burst with energy. He scurried over to where Connor sat, stood in front of him, and held his arms out to him. You raised a brow, was... was Oliver trying to hug Connor?

Your dark haired baby didn't say anything, and neither did Connor, the two had a silent staring contest. Connor furrowed his brows, confused to what Oliver was doing, he tilted his head and Oliver stretched his arms out even more. Slowly, Connor leaned down and when he got close enough, Oliver hugged him quickly before scrambling away. Like a frightened mouse, he zoomed right past Hank, who was standing by the open door, and out the door. Hank was left stunned and so were you.

It took a while for Connor to sit back up, composing himself by adjusting his tie and jacket, before looking over to you, hopefully you would give him answers. You looked completely shocked, but Connor could see that small smile you were biting back. Why did you have to hold back your smile?

It didn't take him long to realize this, but he came to the conclusion that he liked your smile.

Your eyes locked with his deep brown ones, "I... I think he likes you."

For a moment, Connor was still, but he smiled softly at you, almost proud of himself.

Hank snorted, he shook his head, "The kid doesn't know any better. It's a fluke."

"Dad!"

The two of you turned to look at Hank who was frowning so hard that it didn't look natural-- even for him.

He pointed at Connor before pointing at you, gesturing back and forth as he said, "Don't get any funny ideas, Connor. She better be in the same state as she is now when I come back. Got it?"

You felt the heat rise to your cheeks and embarrassment consumed you, "Oh my-- dad, stop!"

Connor's eyes flickered over to you, making sure to get a look at your cute embarrasses face before addressing Hank's concern, "Got it."

"And if you touch her at all, I'll snap your neck."

"I must warn you that I do cost a  _small fortune._ " 

Hank scoffed as he walked out the door, he shut the door behind him, leaving both you and Connor alone once again.

You were covering you face, why did your dad have to do you wrong like that? It's not like Connor is interested in you in  _that way_. Sure, he did admit to liking your appearance, and yes, he did admit that he liked your company, but that doesn't mean anything, right? He's an android, and from what he has been telling you, he's very work oriented. You're sure he doesn't even have the  _features_ to understand what being romantically involved with someone even means. He was built to stop deviants, not...  _date_. He probably doesn't even have a... a... dick. If he did have a dick, you would be pretty impressed, but what would a deviant hunter, who's only mission is to stop the deviants, do with a damn dick? 

You sure as hell wouldn't know.

Do androids have dicks?

Yeah, you've heard of sex clubs with male androids... but you've never been to one to actually confirm what it's like.

Do you actually get to have sex with those androids in those clubs?

If Connor did have a dick, if he really is the _most advanced prototype Cyberlife has ever created_ , would that mean he has both a dick and have the ability to... get a hard-on?

Wait... why are you thinking too much into it?

You shook your head, oh god, you were just thinking about android dicks, and there's an android sitting next to you-- and you were thinking about his dick, if he has one that is.

"Are you okay, (Name)?" He leaned forward a bit, trying to get a good look at your face, and you flinched away from him on instinct. You laughed awkwardly, "U-Uh, yeah."

He reached out and gently placed a hand against your forehead, "Your heat temperature has risen. Are you sick?"

He has... He has soft hands.

"N-No! I'm fine." You nervously reassured him, you fanned yourself with your hand, "I-It's just hot in here."

He looked confused, "But it is the perfect room temperature. Maybe I should give you a quick examination."

An examination?

What did that mean?

No, more like... what does that  _include_?

Oh god, here you go again, thinking dirty thoughts. You're like a school girl who just came out of health class after learning about sex. You need to get these thoughts out of your head, you just met Connor a few hours ago, you can't be thinking about stuff like that yet. You're having inappropriate thoughts of your dad's android partner.

This only meant one thing.

You're attracted to him.

Oh no.

You are.

It's only been a few hours!

What's wrong with you?!

You suddenly smacked your face, shocking Connor at the sudden action. Concerned, he grabbed your wrists, holding your hands away from your face, "(Name), are you sure you're okay?"

You smiled softly at him, your eyebrows furrowed, "Yeah, I'm okay."

Your cheeks burned and they were turning red from the smack you gave yourself, "I'm fine, Connor. I really am. I just needed to wake myself up, that's all."

He eyed you for a second, as if he could see through your entire lie, you hope he wasn't built with the ability to read minds, because lying to him would just be stupid then. Connor didn't quite believe you, he could tell you were lying, but he didn't want to push you into telling him the reason behind your actions. He still held your wrists in his hands, and as he gripped them, he could feel your bones and once again he was reminded of how fragile humans are. With a simple twist, he could snap your wrist and you would not be able to use your entire hand. Sure, it's the same for him as well, if his arm were to break he wouldn't be able to use it, but he could easily get a new arm-- while you, you would have to wait a long time for your body to heal the broken bone. 

Humans really are fragile creatures.

"Uh... Connor?" You called out.

His eyes snapped up from your wrists to your face, "Yes?"

You dropped your gaze to your wrists, before you looked back up to him, when he didn't get the message, you repeated the action, nudging your head a little bit-- but he still didn't get it. You awkwardly smiled, "My... My hands. You're still holding them."

He glanced down, "Yes, yes I am. Does this make you uncomfortable?"

"Um..." You hesitated, he was staring at you very intensely, it was as if your answer would impact him and change him forever, "... No...?"

"I see."

"You know my dad said not to touch me, right?"

He nodded, "Yes, but I don't think Lieutenant would actually damage me. He told me before, he didn't like filling in paperwork for damaged equipment."

Your eyes widened, how could your father say that to him? Damaged equipment? He's more than that.

"I'm so sorry, Connor. My father shouldn't have said that."

"Why are you apologizing?" Connor asked curiously, "You have done nothing wrong."

"No, he shouldn't have said that to you. You're more than just a piece of equipment, Connor. You shouldn't let him or anyone talk down on you like that." You shook your head, "You're more than what they say."

"I am just a machine, (Name)." He answered softly, "There is no need to apologize for what I am."

You sighed softly, telling him otherwise would just bring the two of you back around in a never ending circle, there's no changing his mind,  "... Still..."

His hands let go of your wrist, your palms faced down, and strangely intimately, he dragged the palm of his hands down you wrist until your hands were on top of his. You stared at your hands, he felt...  _real._ If it wasn't for the glowing blue on his LED, his jacket sleeve and chest, you wouldn't have guessed that he was an android. You would see him as a regular person.

He looks human, sounds human... and feels human.

Your eyes flickered over to his face before back to your hands. That was when you saw it, his skin around his hand vanished and all you saw were white porcelain hands that had a faint blue glow. You could see his bare hands, and you were in awe. 

"I'm... I'm just a machine." His voice wavered, he was hesitating, it was as if if he said it enough he would eventually come to believe it. 

You licked your lips, before sucking in a breath, you moved your left hand around his right one. You placed your hand underneath his, holding his open hand in your left, "Maybe... Maybe you're more than that."

Like a curious child, he watched you do as you pleased with hands, but he lost interest in that and found something more interesting... your face.

In the short time Connor has been with you, you have shown him many human emotions, from being frightened to joy, to joy to embarrassment and from embarrassment to empathy. Right now, you were gazing down at his hands, his  _true_ hands with a look of gentleness and care. You weren't frightened by it or disgusted, as most human beings would be, instead of being uncomfortable, you were... accepting.

To think someone like you existed.

You.

You stand for everything that Connor was made to neutralize. You stand against everything that Connor stands for. 

You appeared out of nowhere, meeting you was the last thing he expected, you are the unpredictable-- the most unpredictable event that has ever occurred to him. You didn't just introduce yourself into his world randomly, you introduced yourself and your beliefs right when he's beginning to question his own self-worth and his morals. 

After the altercation at the Eden Club, not shooting those deviants, and when Hank made him show... fear, and now you. 

You slowly looked up to him, you felt his gaze, you expected him to be staring curiously or blankly, but instead, you saw uncertainty on his face. You were struck silent, your eyes lost in his, he was showing doubt... and almost fear for the unknown. You were forcing him to cross unknown territory, guilt filled you, you didn't mean to do that. Everything just happened naturally.

You pulled your hands away from his, your hands dropped to the couch and you averted your gaze, looking anywhere but at him. When he felt the loss of your warmth of his hands, his skin rematerialized and he lowered his hands to his side.

"I'm sorry, I should have been more considerate of your feelings, Connor." You whispered, "I shouldn't have pressured you like that."

"No..." Connor trailed off, he hesitated for a moment, "... (Name), I--!"

The front door opened and Hank and Oliver came through carrying white paper bags with some oil stains on it. Oliver ran in, carrying a big bag all by himself, "Look, look! Mommy, look!"

You pulled away from Connor, you stood up from the couch and joined Oliver in the kitchen. You picked him up so he could place the bag on the table, "Wow, you're so strong, Ollie."

Behind you, you didn't notice Hank observing both you and Connor. He didn't fail to notice the awkward tension between the two of, it was even more evident when Connor, unknowingly, had a longing look on his face as he watched you help Oliver. You as well, you had a tight smile on your face when you greeted your son, and Hank didn't miss that either. 

He made a mental note:  _Don't leave Connor and (Name) alone ever again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i lied it's 2,000 words forgive me-- it's late, but i'm going to try to edit this.


	7. think with the heart instead of the head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a drift forms between you and connor, and he wants to repair it, but he might have just made it worse.

You were tidying up after breakfast, silently losing yourself to your thoughts as Oliver entertained himself with poking and prodding at Connor. Your mind kept thinking back to that troubled expression Connor had on his face and the more you thought about it, the guiltier you felt. You can't believe you tried to convince a damn deviant hunter android that he isn't just an android. Your motions slowed down for a moment, your eyes dropping to your hands, you can't forget the feeling of his porcelain hands against yours. You can't forget how your heart skipped a beat at how close you were to him. How could you fall in love with someone so quickly?

You bit your lip, you can't fall in love with him... you just met him.

You glanced over your shoulder, your eyes landing on Oliver and Connor. Oliver was sitting in front of Connor and the android was playing with a coin. Your son was in awe, curiously watching Connor move the coin across his hands skillfully, and at some point he started exclaiming for the android to teach him how to do that. You turned your head back to the dishes, the last time you fell in love with someone so quickly... you were held captive for years.

Those years were the worst years of your life. 

Elias was everything you ever wanted when you were younger. You were so naive, you fell in love with him at first sight and he fell in absolute love with you as well. You ran away with him and at first, it was great, until a year or two later, he started to show his true colours. At first it started small, he would want to know where and what you were doing, and then he began to restrict your movements, and then he started to refuse to let you leave the house without him or one of his buddies. If you were looking anywhere else but at him, he would lose it. He would accuse you of cheating and he would litter your body in purple before throwing you in the bedroom and having his way with you. You became his property, his beautiful fragile doll that he enjoyed breaking.

The sweet words he once would lovingly whisper in your ears became threats that held actual weight. One day, you left the house to get some food, and when you came back he  _punished_ you, no matter how many times you cried and begged for him to stop, he wouldn't listen to you. He pushed your body way past the brink of exhaustion, he didn't even stop when you passed out on him, he just continued to defile your body as he pleased until he had his fill. And nine months later, you had Oliver.

Oliver became your light.

He was the only good thing to have ever happened to you.

After everything Elias put you through, you can't afford to fall in love with someone again so quickly-- even if the person is a charming, handsome, clueless detective android... you just can't. You closed your eyes, soothing yourself as you whispered to yourself, "I'm not in love. I'm not in love. I'm not..."

"Hey, Connor. Enough with that coin already!" Hank snapped.

"But Oliver enjoys it." Connor replied.

"He's teaching me, pops!" Oliver grinned.

You finished with the dishes, taking a minute to compose yourself, before making your way into the bedroom to get dressed. Connor watched your figure pass him, he noticed the grim expression on your face and he got up to follow you, but Hank stopped him, "And where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to talk to (Name)." Connor answered truthfully, his eyes moved past Hank's shoulder to your back. He wanted to follow you, he wanted to talk to you, he wanted to explain himself to you and possibly apologize for making you worry, but Hank was going to have none of that, "Oh no you don't."

Connor furrowed his brows, "Why not?"

"Why not?" Hank snorted, "Because... Because you can't."

Well... that's unreasonable.

"I see, you have a good point, Lieutenant." Connor sighed, he turned back around, "Perhaps I shouldn't try and talk to her. I wouldn't want to get my  _ass_ handed to me by you. You could take me out so easily, I don't stand a chance, but because you're not going to let me talk to (Name), perhaps you aren't confident enough to protect her if I  _were_ to try something. Don't worry, I understand. I am _very_ intimidating--!"

"Five minutes." Hank mumbled grumpily as he stepped aside.

Connor smiled at him, "Thank you, Lieutenant."

Hank huffed, he hated that confident look on Connor's face. Goddamn plastic asshole.

As Connor walked down the hallway, Oliver ran over to Hank, "I can do it! Look!"

"Oh shit, you can."

Their voices drowned out behind him as he reached your door. He was about to just open your door, but it has dawned oh him that humans would prefer if you knock before entering, so he did just that. He knocked softly on your door, and when you didn't answer, he knocked again, "(Name)?"

There was the sound of a thud that alarmed Connor. He heard you croaked out a, "O-One second!"

Inside of the room, you were in your underwear, struggling with putting on your black jeans. You were okay a few seconds ago, but when you heard Connor's voice on the other side of the door it caught you by surprise. You miscalculated where you were putting your foot through and you accidentally tripped over yourself. You fell forward, landing on the somewhat soft carpet, but still in a little pain. You slammed your head against the floor and it was taking you a while to recover. 

"(Name), are you okay?" 

He sounded concerned.

You panicked, what if he comes in?

You're practically naked.

You're in your bra and underwear, lying on the floor on your back, with your pants at your ankles and in some pain. You would rather die than have Connor see you like this. You already made this awkward and him walking in on you like this will just make things worse. Your voice cracked as you answered him, "Y-Yeah!"

You slowly pushed yourself up, your head aching and your back a little sore as you moved. You sat up against the bed, resting your head against the mattress, why did the world like to gift you with misfortune?

You managed to slip the jeans on when your door opened to reveal Connor standing there. You jumped in surprise and your hands flew over to your chest, "C-Connor!"

"I'm sorry, I heard a loud noise and I thought you got hurt." He explained. You could understand his concern, but what you didn't understand is why he stepped inside the room and shut the door behind him. He stood by the door and the two of you stared at each other, you cleared your throat awkwardly, your arms covering your chest, "U-Um, what... What are you doing... here?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Can this wait...? I'm kind of getting dressed here..."

"In private." 

"Oh... um."

"I can wait." Connor reassured you, but you didn't feel reassured at all. That didn't seem to solve the problem, you weren't concerned about keeping him, you were more concerned to why he decided it was okay to just stand in the room while you're in the middle of getting dressed. You looked off to the side, "Okay..."

You turned around, dropping your arms to your side, feeling a little more comfortable that he wasn't looking at your front. You opened your drawer and searched for a shirt. The silence seemed unbearable, and the fact that Connor is just standing by the door, watching you and waiting for you made it even worse. You swallowed down your arising  _school girl feelings_ as you asked, "W-What did you want to talk to me about?"

"It's about before. I think we had misunderstanding back there." He answered, "I didn't mean to make you upset."

You continued to dig through your drawer, but as he talked, your motions slowed down until you came to a complete halt. Why was  _he_ apologizing?

"N-No, Connor. It's alright. I'm the one who should be apologizing." You took in a deep breath, "I pressured you and made you uncomfortable. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

He took a step forward, "You... didn't make me uncomfortable."

You laughed softly, he was taking pity on you, you shook your head, "You don't have to lie, Connor. I saw the look on your face. You... You looked afraid... and disgusted."

Another step, "No, that's not true."

Your emotions were exploding. You wanted him to stay away from you. You fell to fast for him-- faster than what your comfortable with. You can't let the past be repeated. You... You just want to forget about the childish feelings you have for him. You were disgusted of yourself, you never changed, you'll keep falling in love with someone so quickly that it's pitiful. You hated it. And having Connor alone in the room with you wasn't helping, why did Hank even let him see you?

You thought he was protective over you.

You returned to picking out a shirt. You grabbed a fitted white shirt and put it on, "Then what was it?"

"I was... unsure." He replied slowly and you turned around to face him, "Connor, that's what being afraid is. I made you uncomfortable--!"

"No. Lately, I have been noticing something different. I used to do whatever it took to complete my mission, but recently... I have been making questionable decisions. The decisions I have been making recently have been affecting the investigation on deviants." Connor explained but you were lost, what did this have to do with you?

He lifted his gaze off from the floor and to you, "Last night, before I brought your father home, he threatened to shoot me."

Your eyes widened, "What?"

"He questioned me... He questioned me about who I really am. He asked me what happens after I die and I... I was scared." Connor's voice softened towards the end, "I showed him fear, a human emotion. Androids don't have emotions, but deviants emulate them and I just--!"

"Connor..." You whispered.

He took a step forward and soon he was standing right in front of you, he looked down at you, "You... make me feel... different. In a good way, but I don't understand this feeling you give me. Last night, I enjoyed talking to you and when you got upset, I found myself needing to explain myself to you."

You realized what was happening.

No.

No.

No, this can't be happening. You took a step back and frantically shook your head, "I-I understand, let's go outside now?"

He stepped forward, "It _pained_ me to see you upset--!"

"Connor, don't." You softly warned, "D-Don't."

"... (Name)?" He frowned and your heart stung, why did he need to give you that look?

You lowered your head, you reached out and placed your hands on his arms, you squeezed tightly, "I'm sorry..."

You were shaking... shaking in fear, just like the first time that you two met. He couldn't see your face, but he knew that if he could, he would see your frightened expression. He didn't understand, just a few minutes ago the two of you were fine. You two got a long, things were going great, so why were you suddenly trying to pull away from him?

And why did he care so much?

He remained silent, he had you trapped between the drawer and his body. Why were you so afraid?

A heavy silence filled the room.

He pressed his lips tightly together before finally asking the big question, "Why are you afraid of me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did i say slow burn? i meant, slowly burning the relationship.


	8. helpless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> connor gets too close and he makes it hard for you to let go... so you give in-- and connor gets a warning.

Your bottom lip quivered as you gripped Connor’s arms. You were leaning against him, using his body as support, your legs trembled and your whole body felt weak. A deadly silence hung over the two of you, the bedroom lights were off, the dim light coming from the curtains put a certain gloomy glow in the room. The blue from his LED, the band on his arm and the triangle against his chest, the gave off a faint hum of light blue, illuminating your figure ever so slightly as you held onto him. You felt... stupid.

You can't stress how idiotic you felt, you were making a big deal over nothing, all just because you can feel yourself falling in love with an android that you met last night. He didn't deserve this. Connor is a great guy. He didn't deserve to feel like it's his fault that you're tense around him. He...

You shook your head, your grip on him loosened and your arms dropped to your sides, "I-It's... It's nothing. I'm just... tired."

You're lying and he knows it.

There was silence one again. You didn't move and neither did he. You leaned back against the dresser, your arms crossed over your chest, your hands rubbing your arms to comfort yourself as Connor stood in front of you... just staring. 

"You were crying out a name in your sleep." 

You froze.

"Elias." Connor's hands itched to hold your hands for some strange reason, but the probability of success is lower than 50% at the moment, so he decided to wait. When you didn't respond, he pushed further, "Who is Elias?"

No response.

"Is Elias Oliver's father?"

Your fingernails dug into your arms, you lowered your head, what else did you have to lose at this point? You have no dignity left. You might as well go all out.

"I'm... I'm not afraid of you, Connor." You responded slowly, "It's not that I'm afraid of you. I'm afraid of... of what you're doing to me."

He watched you curiously, he was recording your voice, analyzing it, he recognized a sense of fear and embarrassment. You were shaking again, trembling ever so slightly, but nothing would get past Connor. He noticed how you refused to look at him, you kept your head down, your eyes fixed on the floor, as if the floor was more interesting than him-- he doubts it.

You licked your lips nervously, letting out a shaky breath as you said, "I think... I think I like you...?"

Connor cut in before you could explain yourself, "I like you too."

Your cheeks went warm at his sudden declaration, but you shook your head, "No, Connor. I mean... _romantically_."

Romantically?

He searched it up in his program; romantic attraction is similar to desire for a specific individual, the desire to attain a certain closeness to the individual. Romantic attraction can be easily mistaken for sexual attraction, which is where you are attracted to an individual based on appearance and sex appeal. On the other hand, romantic attraction is the desire to commit to a relationship with an individual and do  _domestic_ activities such as holding hands, cooking dinner together, spending time together, physical intimacy, etc. 

"It's crazy..." You laughed pitifully, "I just _met_ you and now I want to be with you. I'm so... I'm so stupidly helpless."

"(Name)."

"I say that but I just can't like you!" You exclaimed, you were bursting, "The last time I fell in love with someone so quickly I ended up in an abusive relationship, I was beaten every single day and I was... was... raped every single time he wanted to let go! I lived my life in fear and I ended up having Oliver and I can't even raise him properly! It took me _six_ years after his birth to finally have the courage to just step out of that horrible house and I promised myself to never think with my emotions than with my logic-- but look what I have done now!"

Connor was silent as you let go of everything that you have held in. You snapped your head up, your eyes watering as you shouted, "Yeah, call me crazy! I like you! I like an android that I just met! I'm-- I'm so pathetic!"

Connor got a lot of new information about you through your rambling. One, you were in an abusive relationship with a man named Elias. Two, Elias is Oliver's father. And three, you are romantically attracted to him. He also came to the conclusion that because you are having romantic feelings towards him, you are trying to distance yourself from him in an attempt to get rid of these feelings. The last relationship you had, you fell in love with him at first sight as well, and that relationship ended horribly. He can understand why you are so cautious of him once you understood the feelings you have. A part of Connor is relieved that weren't entirely afraid of him, he is actually flattered a little bit that you have a romantic attraction to him.

"Maybe... Maybe we should not... see each other for a little while." You mumbled, "I'm sure these feelings will go away with time and we can be friends... like you want."

Something snapped in Connor, he can't see you anymore?

But he just got to know you, and he has a better understand of you now. He wants to see more of you, not see less of you. He frowned deeply, he furrowed his brows, "I don't want that."

"What?" You stared at him in shock.

"I would prefer to see you more than see you less." Connor explained.

"Didn't you hear anything that I said?" 

"I did." Connor stated firmly, "And I will take it into consideration."

"Connor--!"

He reached out and grabbed your hand, he firmly held your hand to his, lifting your hands up in between the both of you. You tore your eyes from his face and down to your hands. His porcelain white hands held yours, a warm heat radiated from his palms, a light blue light emitting from them as well. You swallowed nervously, you lifted your eyes up to him, and found him watching you, "What are you doing?"

"Physical intimacy." He replied, "One of the subunits of romantic attraction."

You were confused, what?

You heart was beating quickly and you felt a little claustrophobic. He was so close to you and you were holdings hands. He had you trapped between a drawer and his body. Before, you used to be terrified, but this felt different. Maybe your instincts already trusted Connor, maybe deep now inside of you, you already know that Connor doesn't have a single intention of malice within him. 

He spoke, "Physical intimacy is one of the stages of romantic attraction. I am simply fulfilling your need for...  _skinship._ " 

"No, no, no, Connor... that's only for people who are dating." You tried to pull away, but he held a firm grip on your hands.

"I may not understand the fundamentals of  _dating_ , but I did a quick search on it. I was not made to date, but I think it is something I would like to try." His brown eyes searched for your eyes, and when you locked gazes with him, you can see certainty and sincerity in them... almost human like. He gave your hands a gentle squeeze, "I would like to try dating with you."

"We just met..." You trailed off.

"That is not a problem. In the past few hours, I have already learned more about you to suffice for an entire year of friendship."

"That's... That's not how it works."

"It's not...?" He tilted his head with a look of confusion on his face.

You bit your lip, he looked cute when he did that. He looked so innocent and charming. Every bone in your body and your common sense screamed to just pull away from him and walk away. Your brain was talking reason into you, but your heart screamed and ached for you to just do it. He's an android and he's willing to fill your lonely heart, it may be moving fast, but hey live fast and die young. You let out a deep sigh.

You removed your left hand from his and lifted it up to his face, you cupped his cheek, "Stop looking at me like that... I can't... I can't take it."

Connor had many options here. He could say something sweet, he could smile at you or embrace you. His success rate for any of those options were at 100%, so he had nothing to lose no matter what option he took. But he decided to do something he has seen in a drama show that played last night while you slept. He moved his head to the right and placed a kiss on your hand. He glanced over from the corner of his eye, you had a shocked and red expression on your face. You were flustered as he gave you a devilish smile. 

You yanked your hand away from his face, "C-Connor!"

He just smiled.

This android is gonna kill you with his smile.

A little while later, Connor and Hank left around lunch to at least show up at the Detroit Police Department. Hank was huffing something about how Fowler was going to be a pain in the ass if they were to show up any later, and as Hank left through the front door, Connor kissed your hand, you hissed, "Connor!"

"I have read that it is customary for couples to show affection before they leave for work." 

You were red, "H-Have a good day at work."

Those words felt weird coming out of your mouth. You have never once said those words before and it was so weird to say them. They sounded normal in your head, but when you actually said them out loud, it just sounded wrong. Connor smiled softly, "Be safe."

When you closed the front door, you stayed perfectly still for a moment before screeching. Your heart was jumping out of your chest and all of the doubts from before vanished as you relished in the thought that it only took you a few hours to be in a relationship again. It was both terrifying and exciting. You felt so giddy and childish that it was hilarious. 

Oh god, you're so into him.

**Lover.**

Oliver sat by the coffee table staring at you. He witnessed everything that went down between you and Connor at the front door.

He stared in awe, does he call Connor dad now?

* * *

Connor was in the Zen Garden with Amanda, on the boat as the two discussed the investigation and all the things Connor failed to succeed in. He failed to catch Rupert and he failed to contain the deviants at the Eden Garden, his mistakes were stacking on one on top of the other and Amanda didn't fail to point it out.

"If your investigation doesn't make progress soon..." Amanda glared at him, "I may have to replace you, Connor..."

The android was conflicted, one million thoughts raced through his head at her words. Replaced? He just met you... and now he's going to get replaced? The pressure began to consume him. He didn't want to be replaced.

Reluctantly, Connor let out a sigh, "I understand."

There was silence between the two of them, before she spoke up, "That woman, you appear to have... developed a specific relationship with her."

Connor assumed she was talking about you, and just the thought of you brought a faint smile on his face, "Yes."

"She doesn't benefit the investigation, Connor. Do not waste your time on such trivial activities. She is a distraction and she should be disregarded." Amanda stated coldly.

Connor looked off to the side. He begs to differ.

"But perhaps we can use her." Amanda had a wicked look on her face, "She may prove herself useful in the future. Keep her at arms length, Connor."

He nodded, "... Yes, Amanda."

That was when the sound of thunder cracked through the sky, breaking through the quiet serenity around them. Amanda looked worried, "Something is happening... Something serious."

She looked back to Connor, "Hurry, Connor. Time is running out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this sums up what happened in this chapter --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK_9hkWigYs
> 
> also, connor is in hot water.


	9. free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things start to unfold

A few hours after Connor and Hank left the house, you took Oliver out to buy groceries for dinner and the rest of the week. Your head was still up in the clouds thinking about Connor, just thinking about his name sent a smile on your face. Nothing could ruin it for you. You reunited with your dad, Oliver is happy, you have a strange relationship with an android you just met-- nothing could ruin it... but of course, you spoke too soon.

It happened when you least expected it.

You were walking down the crowded street with Oliver, you held his hand as he walked silently beside you, he held your left hand while you carried groceries with your right. You bought a couple of things, you were thinking maybe a simple soup for dinner, you wanted to save money but also you needed to fill your boy's stomachs-- both Hank and Oliver... and maybe Connor might have a taste if he's feeling up to it.

You smiled to yourself as you imagined the android tasting the soup you intend to make. Maybe he'll compliment you, or maybe he'll start listing how much of what is in the soup-- whatever he would have to say, you looked forward to hearing it. You and Oliver were waiting for the light to change when you noticed a figure standing on the other side of the street.

You squinted a little bit, before your eyes indeed confirmed who you were seeing, your eyes widened and you took a step back on instinct. Your grip on both the plastic bag and on Oliver tightened, and he looked up to you, concern on his face, "Mommy...?"

But you couldn't look anywhere but ahead of you.

Your were locked with darkly coloured blue ones, Elias.

Elias was standing on the other side of the crosswalk, his hands in his pockets, two of his men on either side of him, and his eyes locked on yours. He had a look of euphoria when he realized that you finally noticed him hidden in the crowd ahead of you. He smiled at you, a wickedly smug smile as he silently mouthed, "I found you."

Your feet were grounded as fear washed over you like a tidal wave. You were scared.

Elias finally found you.

The light turned green and everyone began crossing the street. Elias was making his way towards you, he took long confident strides as you remained still. You were paralyzed in both shock and fear. All the emotions you forgot about came back and returned to eating away at your hope for survival-- your hope to live. Elias was going to make sure you and Oliver will never see daylight ever again.

No...

No...

No!

You can't go back there.

You can't!

Oliver must have seen his father because he gave your arm a rough tug as he cried out, "Mommy!"

His voice snapped you out of your paralyzed state. Elias as already halfway across the street. You clenched your teeth, no, you won't let him catch you this time. Not when you're so close to being free.

You tightened your grip on Oliver's hand, "Oliver, we have to go."

He nodded and the two of you quickly turned around, walking quickly as you skillfully moved your way through the crowds of people walking in the opposite direction. As the walkway began to clear up, your pace picked up and your eyes darted from side to side, looking for possible routes or hiding spots. You can't lead Elias back to your father's place.

You have to lose him.

But how?

Cab?

No, he can easily follow you.

Stores?

No, he'll just corner you.

As you ran out of options you were also running out of time, Elias was closing in on the two of you. You could hear him commanding his men to try and cut you off.

That was when the sound of a train travelling on a rail above you caught your attention.

The train.

That's your ticket to escape.

You paused for a moment and looked down to Oliver, "Baby, I need you to stay close to me, okay?"

Oliver nodded, "Okay."

You picked up your pace, constantly looking over your shoulder, keeping an eye on Elias and his men as you speed walked towards the station. You looked away for a second, and when you looked back, you noticed Elias' men gone-- fear surged through you. You swallowed nervously, bringing your attention back to where you were going, and you began to panic at what you saw. You and Oliver weren't going to make the crosswalk, just as the two of you arrived at the intersection, the light turned green and cars passed you. You looked over to your right, one of Elias' men was there, to your left was the other one, and behind was the devil himself.

"We're trapped." You whispered. 

Your eyes were darting back and forth, desperately looking for a solution, and you found one way out... and it was right in front of you.

The road wasn't that busy. 

If you're fast enough and careful enough, you and Oliver could get across. You licked your lips nervously, you glanced down to Oliver and before you could say anything, he looked up at you and squeezed your hand, "It's okay, mommy. I trust you."

Your bottom lip quivered as you clenched your eyes shut, you let out a silent prayer for all of your luck to be used on this moment as you took a step forward onto the road. Oliver stuck close to you as you moved forward. You looked over to your left, the adrenaline and fear pumping through your veins as you took a leap of faith, you ran forward, Oliver following close behind.

The two of you ran across the street, only reaching halfway, you looked behind you and found Elias yelling at his men. You brought your attention back to the road, you're close. Just a few more sprints and you would make it. Just as you were about to run forward, you were yanked back by your hair. You let go of Oliver's hand, who stood in the middle of the road, "Mommy!"

You were being pulled back by Elias himself.

The fucking bastard had enough luck to catch up to you.

"Run Oliver! Go!" You screamed.

"But--!"

"Go!"

The boy noticed the incoming truck and he quickly ran to the other side. Tears streamed down his face as he watched you struggle on the island with his father. 

Elias held a fistful of your head, roughly yanking your ear to his mouth, his horrifying voice ringing through your head, "You fucking think you can run from me?"

You clawed at his wrist, your nails digging into his skin as you struggled to break free. The sound of his voice sent chills down your spine, the familiar feeling of fear surged through you, but this time, you refuse to be paralyzed. He moved you around like a doll, his fingers digging into your scalp as he continued to spit violent threats in your ears, "You're not getting away from me, (Name). You're fucking mine."

You removed your hands from his wrist and you slapped your hand to his face. Your thumb found it's way to his right eye and you dug your thumb deep into his socket, you pressed your nail against his eye, your nail dug into his cornea and he screamed in pain. You lifted your leg and kicked him in groin, forcing him to let you go and you roughly ripped your hand away from his eye. He stumbled back as you panted heavily, you glared at him, "Never again you fucking asshole."

And you ran.

With a bloody thumb and an aching head, you ran across the street, meeting Oliver on the other side. You felt so liberated. You felt so free. 

You got goosebumps with every step you took away from him. You weren't going to cower in fear anymore.

"You bitch!" Elias screamed, "Get back here! I'm going to fucking kill you!"

"Mommy--!" Oliver cried, but you grabbed his hand again, "We have to go! Hurry, before he follows us!"

The two of you ran, you ran for the station, you ran up the escalator and stumbled into the train just as it closed it's doors. You were panting as the train took off and only the sound of the train could be heard. You dropped to your knees in front of Oliver, he was crying and sobbing, his shoulders shaking as he frantically wiped away at his eyes. You cupped his face, "It's okay, baby. It's okay."

"I-I thought h-he--!" He hiccuped, "I thought he g-got y-you!"

You shook your head, you frowned, your own eyes watering as you pulled him into a hug, "Never again. He won't ever get us ever again."

You pulled away and wiped away his tears, "Look at me, baby."

He lifted his watery gaze off the ground and his gorgeous baby blue eyes met with your own eyes. Oliver had his father's eyes... but they were completely different from that monster. Oliver had the softest and most innocent blue eyes, while his father... he's the complete opposite.

You kissed his forehead, "I won't ever let him hurt you again. I'll protect you. Okay?"

He nodded, still sobbing as you pulled him into another comforting hug. 

Never again.

* * *

The two of you got home an hour later, you stayed a little longer to make sure that you weren't being followed. Oliver fell asleep on the train, so you carried him all the way home, only when you got home did you realize something, the groceries.

You dropped it when Elias attacked you.

You brought Oliver into the room and laid him on the bed. You removed his shoes and tucked him in, kissing his forehead before leaving the room, you didn't close the door when you left. You lingered by the doorway for a moment, you glanced over your shoulder, your eyes landed on Oliver's sleeping form. 

Elias almost got you.

He already found you by chance on the street.

If you don't do something... Elias will eventually find out that you're living back with your father. And if Elias finds you, after what you did to him today, he won't just  _roughen_ you up, he might target Hank or Oliver... maybe even Connor. One thing is for sure, you need to do something about Elias fast.

You entered the living room, you turned on the television before grabbing your phone and sending a message to your father. You asked him to get some groceries on his way home, and just when you pressed send, something on the news channel caught your eye. On the screen was an image of a skinless android speaking in a very calm and peaceful tone,  _"We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future, for humans and androids. This message is a hope of a people. You gave us life, and now the time has come for you to give us freedom."_

You were in awe, "Oh shit."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... things will start to pick up from here. get ready for hurt.


	10. declaration of war

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you meet gavin and connor steps in.

You left the house again a little while later, but this time, you didn’t bring Oliver with you. The sweet old lady next door, that definitely had the hots for your father, Mrs Kirkland, offered to take Oliver in while you were gone. Usually, you wouldn’t trust anyone with your son, but Mrs Kirkland was someone that you could definitely trust. She lived next door since you were just a little girl, she would invite you over for snacks whenever your father grounded you. She was basically your very old, but very funny and sneaky, best friend. 

You left Oliver with her because you couldn’t risk losing him. If Elias somehow finds you again, at least he won’t get or hurt Oliver, that’s all that matter. Everything changes when you have a kid.

Before you had Oliver, you only thought about your own safety, and when Oliver came around, it all became about him. That’s what happens if you become a parent. The only person that should matter should be your child. They will be your legacy after all.

You left the house to go to the police department, but it wasn’t to see Hank or Connor, they were probably busy with the deviant’s broadcast anyway, it was to get an update on Elias’ arrest. When you first came to Hank, your father was quick to file a case on him, but because Hank is related to you, he’s unable to actually get involved with the case. They left the case in some others officers hands, but clearly, this officer hasn’t done jack shit about it. Elias wasn’t in jail and he managed to find you, something tells you that the cops aren’t doing their job. 

Of course, before leaving, you changed your clothes. If Elias is still lurking, by changing your clothes, you have a chance that he doesn’t recognize your figure... hopefully. When you entered the police station and explained to them why you were there, they redirected you inside and specifically said, "Detective Reed will be right with you. You can wait at his desk if you please."

A friendly officer guided you over to his desk, in which you quietly thanked them and sat down. The department was... pretty empty. You could only assume that it was because of the message of freedom from that deviant. Most of them were probably out there trying to calm the concerned crowds of people in front of the news station. You can't help but feel a little grateful for the somewhat empty department, the silence and the less wandering eyes really felt easing. As you waited silently at the desk, you looked around to the many other desks, and that was when a certain decorative desk caught your eye, Lt. Anderson.

You smiled a little at how full his desk seemed. There were photos and boxes of food all over it and it had this little charm to it. Compared to the other desks, his desk seemed the most lively. You brought your eyes over to the desk next to his, it was completely empty, Connor's desk. His minimalist approach suited him.

That was when you noticed a man walking towards you. He wore a brown leather jacket, a black shirt, darkly coloured jeans and brown shoes. He had brown hair, blue eyes and a stubble beard. He looked like the type of guy who would have bullied you in high school, the one who brags about getting laid and is always surrounded by his  _bros._ You watched as his blue eyes landed on you and they seemed to be genuinely surprised, maybe you were wrong, maybe he is a good guy, but the smirk that followed after it changed your mind.

He let out a sigh as he took his seat at the desk, "Well hello there. What can I do for you, beautiful?"

He leaned over his desk with that shit eating grin on his face. You pressed your lips into a thin line, you licked your lips before answering, "I filed a case on Elias Walker last week. I was... wondering if there's any progress on that?"

"Lemme check that for you, sweetheart." He hummed, he leaned back into his chair, giving you space to breathe from his suffocating cologne. You looked off to the side, waiting for an answer when he spoke up, "Domestic abuse, huh?"

You looked over to him, not liking that look on his face, "I hope you don't hate men now because of _one_ guy."

You frowned, "No... I don't  _hate_ men."

He grinned, "Well, you just made my day then. I can understand why this Elias guy went so far to just keep ya."

You put your hands together in your lap, you were rubbing your thumb against the palm of your left hand, you were clearly uncomfortable, but when you looked around and saw the empty department, you realized no one was going to help you put him in line. In fact, you take back what you thought about earlier, how the emptiness of the workplace made you feel at ease. You furrowed your brows, giving him a troubled look as he gestured to your body, "You're really...  _sexy._ "

 _"I found you attractive."_ When Connor complimented you, it gave you a rush of joy and excitement, but with this guy, your body's first instinct is to get as far away as possible. You opened your mouth to say something, but you were just breathless, and not in a good way. How do you reply to that? 

It took you a moment before you finally uttered out, "D-Detective Reed, that's very--!"

"You can call me Gavin." He cut you off, "I don't usually let people use my first name, but you're an exception."

"O-Okay, but I came to talk about the case. I just--!

He cut you off again, "How about we talk about it during dinner? Somewhere more comfortable and... _less professional_."

You were getting very uncomfortable. You were glued to the chair as he continued to persist you into going out for dinner with him, insisting that the two of you should enjoy a  _casual_ dinner at a fancy restaurant, but no matter how many times you declined, he kept asking. As he was in the middle of talking, you cut him off and said, "I have a boyfriend."

There was silence and he snorted, he rolled back into his chair, bursting into laughter as if you said the funniest thing in the world. You frowned, "W-Why are you laughing?"

He waved you off, "It's just you said that you have a boyfriend! It hasn't even been two weeks and you're already dating someone else? Sure, sweetheart."

"It's true..."

"Alright, but think about this. Do you really expect me to believe you? You're a woman who just got out of an abusive relationship and not even two weeks later, you're already jumping into someone else's pants? Sure." He leaned back again and howled in laughter.

You fixed your gaze down at your hands, no matter how crude he put it, he was right. It was ridiculous and admitting it made you feel even worse. Look at you, you just got into a relationship a few hours ago and you're already having doubts. Your stomach and heart sank to the pit of your body, your chest clenching as you sat and listened to his humiliating laughter. When he calmed down, he leaned back towards you, "You're not dating anyone, sweetheart. Stop playing coy, I promise I won't hurt you. Unless you're into that shit in bed then I'd be glad to."

You want to go home.

You didn't want to be there. 

You never should have left the house.

You were struck silent, wallowing in your self-pity and doubt with Gavin's cocky voice going in one ear and out the other. You were beginning to feel sick when a familiar voice caught your attention, "(Name)?"

You head snapped up from your lap and standing off to the side was Connor. He stood there, arms to his side and clothes out of place. His tie was missing, his white shirt was unbuttoned and there was a blue substance splattered all over his chest. Concern suddenly flooded your system, what happened to him? Why was there  _blue blood_ all over his chest? Was he hurt?

You jumped up from the chair and walked over to him, "Connor, what happened to you?! Are you hurt?"

You were examining his abdomen, there appeared to be no cuts or wounds so you couldn't understand where all of this blood came from. He watched you examine him with a very worried expression on your face, it felt nice for someone to care.

"I'm fine. A deviant just pulled out my pump regulator but I managed to reassemble myself and avoided a shutdown." He explained while he watched you, he noticed how strange it felt for your hands to softly ghost against his bare chest. You were touching him as if he was the most fragile thing in the room as if he could break into one million pieces if you were to press too hard, it was always a sight to see your caring personality go into full gear. 

"What are you doing here, (Name)?" He asked you, "I thought you were at home."

You took a small step back, should you tell him about what happened?

You noticed how the department began to fill up with more officers, they all must be returning from the investigation, you looked back up to him and decided you should tell him with fewer people around. You pressed a smile, "I just came to see--!"

"Hey, asshole!" Gavin spat, "She and I were having a conversation."

Connor looked over to Gavin and back to you, he was quick to notice the uncomfortable look on your face before turning back to Gavin, "I _apologize,_ but Lieutenant Anderson is looking for her."

You looked up to Connor, was Connor actually lying to help you?

"What? Why would that bum need her? And how do _you_ know _her_?" Gavin frowned.

Your hate for him grew even more, no one calls your father a bum. You were angry and upset, what an asshole!

"(Name) is Lieutenant Anderson's daughter." Connor explained, "Because I have been working very closely with him, I had the opportunity to meet (Name). It is only natural that I know her. She and I are  _very_ close."

"Close, eh?" Gavin crossed his arms over his chest.

You noticed the tension between the two of them. You could tell that Gavin clearly resented Connor, you didn't know why, but it was obvious by his hard glare and mocking tone. He suddenly stood up from his chair and walked right up to Connor, he shoved you back and before you could trip over yourself, Connor quickly grabbed you and supported your stumbling form. He guided you to stand beside him as Gavin got into his face, "You like her, don't you?"

Connor didn't say anything. He just stared at him with that curious look he always wore. 

Gavin scoffed, "You do like her. Well, listen here, you will never get to be with her. You know why?"

He shoved a finger onto Connor's chest, "You're just a piece of plastic, an android that can be replaced. You think you can be special to her? Nope, you're replaceable, just like all the other fucking androids."

You felt his words pierce your heart and it wasn't even directed towards you. You looked up at Connor, whose face did not change its expression, you can only imagine how he feels. You stepped a little closer to his side, your right hand finding its way to his left one, you slipped your hand into his, gently squeezing to comfort him, and when he squeezed back you fought the urge to lean your forehead against his arm or pull him away from Gavin while screaming profanities at him.

"And the fact that you want her." Gavin pointed at you before smirking at Connor, "Makes me want her more."

Connor frowned at that last statement. He furrowed his brows, he opened his mouth to say something, but Gavin turned on his heel and walked away, he shot you a wink before disappearing to wherever he goes to slack off. The two of you were left stunned, you looked over to Connor as you hesitantly asked, "Are you okay?"

His LED went yellow to red to blue before he turned to address you, he simply nodded, "I am fine."

"Are you sure? He was really--!"

"(Name)?" 

You looked over to your right and found Hank approaching you, "Dad..."

"What are you doing here?" He frowned, "Are you okay?"

You and Connor discretely pulled away from each other as he watched you approach your dad. Hank placed a hand on your cheek, examining you from head to toe, "I'm okay."

"Gavin was harassing her." Connor snitched.

Hank snapped, "What?! That asshole! I'm going to fucking kill him!"

"I don't think you should, Lieutenant. Captain Fowler will have to add more pages to your disciplinary folder." Connor bluntly suggested.

"Then why did you fucking tell me? What should I do then, genius?!"

"Perhaps not announce your crime in a police department."

"You fucking smartass!"

"Dad, no!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys so much for the support and dang 1000 kudos? i never thought i would see the day. you guys are amazing and i really appreciate that you guys enjoy this as much as i do. thank you so much!


	11. i need a refresher on romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> connor jumps the gun in more ways than one.

“So, you want to tell me why you were at the station today?” Hank asked from behind you as you stepped inside the small house. You gave Oliver a little pat on the shoulder and he responded quickly, he took off his shoes and ran off into your shared bedroom. You waited until you heard the door shut before turning to address the two men waiting patiently in front of the closed front door. There were two things you noticed.

One, Hank looked genuinely concerned, and two, Connor was doing that thing he always did with the staring. Hank was so concerned that he didn’t bother trying to kick Connor to the curve before he stepped inside the house again. Connor noticed how you took off your shoes and stood in front of him with socks on, he glanced down to his own shoes and he slowly reached down to discreetly take them off.

You took a deep breath, “It... Elias saw me today.”

Hank’s attitude took a complete turn, he tended and his brows furrowed, he took a step forward, “What?”

Connor raised his head as he took off his last shoe and placed it neatly away from the door. He furrowed his brows, he wanted to say something, but he noticed Hank’s  _hostile_ behaviour and decided against it, he will just wait for Hank to leave the room before approaching you. Connor could tell you were troubled, he followed your form as you walked around the couch and sat down on it, Hank followed you close behind.

You ran a hand through your hair, “I went to buy groceries with Ollie and he was on the other side of the street. We got away.”

“That son of a bitch.” Hank cursed angering before turning to you, he took a seat next to you, putting an awkward hand on your shoulder, “Did he hurt you?”

You hesitated for a moment. He’s clearly upset and telling him the truth would probably have his blood boil, he might just go out and commit a crime in a blind rage, but lying to him would just put yourself in a bigger hole. You remained silent as Hank impatiently waited for your answer, the hesitant look on your face told him everything and he let out a shout, “Dammit!”

“We talked about this, (Name)!” He raised his voice, you knew he wasn’t angry at you, but it certainly seemed that way, “Why didn’t you call me?”

“I couldn’t think straight... I just— I just needed to get away.” You started to blab, your words came out rushed and incoherent that it was hard for both you and the two men to keep up, “I just needed to get Oliver away, I had to get out of his sight and kept calling my name and I was desperate. I—!”

You lowered your head, your hands found their way into your lap and you began to rub your hands together, pressing your thumb against the centre of your palm, “I was so scared.”

Your voice was wavering and your breath was hitching, you began to remember the anxiety you felt when you first saw Elias. The absolute horror that slammed against you when you noticed him, the fact that he was watching you that entire time, just waiting for you to look up, was haunting you. How long did he follow you?

Was he watching you all the way from the grocery store? Did he pass by from behind you as you grabbed Oliver’s favourite cereal? Was he standing on the other side of the produce aisle as you were picking out some carrots? Your mind began to race, and you put yourself back in that grocery store, innocently bagging some vegetables, not ever noticing the millions of eyes on you from the customers around you. The dreaded feeling of being watched sunk in as paranoia made its glorious entrance. The fact that Elias found you wasn’t a coincidence. 

It was a warning.

A subtle reminder that you’re never safe. 

So what if you are mending your experience with love?

Elias will watch you build a family just for the satisfaction of tearing it down with his own hands. He wants you to remember that you don’t belong to anyone but him. He wants you to know that you can run from him, you can run as far and as long as you want, but he will always find you. It was never about him wanting a family. All he ever wanted was you.

And you realized that when he started using Oliver as a bargaining chip, using him against you, threatening to kill him if you didn’t obey him. Elias never loved or cared for Oliver, he will keep Oliver if that meant keeping you grounded and in line. And he proved that when he chased you. He didn’t once call out for Oliver, he kept calling your name in that venomous tone.

“(Name)... (Name)... (Name)!”

His voice got louder with every call for you. He didn’t care who was watching, he didn’t care at all. No cop can stop him. Your fucking father is a damn Lieutenant but that didn’t stop him from restraining you and abusing you— keeping you from ever speaking to your family ever again. That was when it hit you.

Fear crawled up from your legs and like a disease, it slowly spread through your body until you were covered in its mass of darkness, voices in your ears whispered, “He let you win.”

When you got away from Elias, he didn’t run after you, he didn’t tell his men to chase you. He watched you go. Like how a predator teases his prey for entertainment. 

Your eyes were wide and you were paralyzed.

You looked over to your right and you swear you could see Elias standing on the other side of the street, just standing there, smiling with a bleeding eye. He would wave at you and— “Pumpkin?!”

You let out a sudden gasp for air, you didn’t realize you were holding in your breath, you choked for air as Hank rubbed your back, “Jesus, what the fuck happened?! You zoned out and stopped breathing!”

You ran a hand through your head, your eyes wide and your forehead sweaty, you also didn’t know what the hell just happened. You felt like you were in a completely different world. You looked over to the window and there was no one out there, you were hallucinating... and your hallucinations were caused by fear and paranoia. It was coming back again. You remained still as Hank pulled you into his arms, he rocked you gently, rubbing your back and stroking your hair, “You’re okay. Fuck, you scared the crap out of me.”

“She had a severe panic attack.” Connor suddenly spoke up and you jumped from his voice, he was so silent, you almost thought he wasn’t there.

He stood by the edge of the couch, “She is recovering but we need to completely relax her.”

Hank’s eyes travelled from you to Connor, “How?”

“Calming music and tea might help.” 

Hank got up, “Music, okay—!”

 “It would be best if you refrain from using Knights of the Black Death, heavy metal tends to have a lot of anger, it could worsen her—!”

 “I know, smartass.” Hank snapped and before Hank could go and put some sort of soothing jazz on, Connor cut in quickly, "Perhaps you can check on Oliver. He must be a little shaken from what happened between Elias and his mother."

Hank stood in front of the couch, suspiciously eyeing the android before, without another word, made his way to where Oliver was hold up. Connor watched him leave, waiting for Hank to shut the door behind him before taking a seat next to you. He sat close to you, your shoulder occasionally brushed against his own, and neither of you said a word. The two of you basked in silence, and that was when Connor spoke up softly, "May I touch you?"

You looked over to him and he was staring earnestly at you, you looked down at your lap and nodded. His hand reached over and found its way around your own. He held your hand in silence, his thumb gently rubbed circles into your palm, you let him do as he pleased. You watched him shift his position, entwined his hand with yours and you felt an unnatural warmth radiating off from his hand. You glanced over and found his porcelain white hand glowing a faint blue, something about that gorgeous blue and the warmth he was emitting made you feel at ease. You closed your eyes, your posture slackened and with the gentlest of tugs, Connor had you resting your head against his shoulder. 

Connor's affectionate touches, so foreign and new, but so old and nostalgic, it had you realize just how long it has been since someone held your hand just to comfort you. You almost forgot what it was like to be held so gently... you won't ever get used to it.

The two of basked in the calming silence, just appreciating each others presence, the two of you silently unloaded all the burdens and worries you were both carrying. Your fears mellowed out between the two of you, silently sharing both artificial and human emotions.

That was when Connor broke the silence again, "I... I almost died today."

You raised your head off from his shoulder, you turned to him, concern written all over your face, "Connor..."

"A deviant forcefully ripped my pump regulator out of me and I had two minutes before complete shut down... in your words, death." He was staring down at your connected hands, "I... felt pain and called for Hank, but he didn't come. I think... I was scared."

You frowned, you took your free hand and placed it against his right cheek, "Connor..."

You didn't know what to say to him. What were the right words to say to him?

"I thought about you." Connor admitted softly, "It was... strange. I thought about you as my time was running out. All I could think about... was you."

Connor suddenly leaned his forehead against your shoulder and you stiffened. He mumbled, "I'm... not supposed to feel. I'm not a deviant. So, why do I feel all these emotions?" 

Before you could speak he said, "When you were telling Hank about what happened earlier today. I felt upset. Why wasn't anyone trying to help you? Why... Why didn't you call me?"

You let out a short burst of soft laughter as you gently pushed him away, "What do you mean call  _you_?"

"You have a phone, yes?" He seemed genuinely confused.

You nodded, "Yeah, I do, but I don't have your number... Do you have a phone?"

"It's built in my software," Connor replied, "I didn't know you didn't have my number. Did Hank not give it to you?"

"About that..." You mumbled, "Dad doesn't want me to have anything to do with you."

"That's unfortunate." Connor furrowed his brows, "I wonder how he would react if I told him we are involved romantically. Should we tell him?"

"No!" You yelled, before lowering your voice, eyes glancing over to where your father was, "N-Now isn't the right time."

"Right." Connor nodded. He then turned to you, he stared intensely at you that it was almost intimidating, "You won't have to worry about, Elias soon, (Name). I promise I will deal with him  _myself._ "

"No, Connor. You have enough on your plate. I'll just leave—!"

"No." His voice came out strong and almost demanding, "I will deal with it myself. I need to protect you and Oliver."

"Connor... You don't have to do that."

"I want to."

You frowned, you lowered your head. Connor was already doing so much for you and now he wants to go out and deal with Elias. He thinks it's his responsibility to protect you and Oliver. It's sweet, you really believe that Connor just wants to help, but he's helping too much. He's already taken pity on you with this entire  _dating_ thing and now he wants to do more for you. You know that he has good intentions, but why did it make you feel helpless?

He noticed your distress and he quietly called out your name, "(Name)? What's wrong?"

You shook your head, "It's nothing."

"You're upset." He stated, "Was it something I said?"

"No, no, no." You quickly uttered out, you leaned forward, squeezing his hands with yours, "I'm just being silly, that's all."

Your weak laughter didn't convince him. He suddenly removed his hands from yours and held your face, he forced you to look at him. You lifted your hands, you grabbed his wrists softly, "C-Connor, w-what are you doing?"

He was close to you... closer than normal. His face was close to yours and you could feel it coming. Is he going to... kiss you? Oh no, he is.

"C-Connor." You laughed nervously, "What's um... What's happening?"

"I heard kissing is a way to relieve stress and a display of affection between lovers." He answered bluntly.

"Oh, Connor, h-hold on a second—!"

You could fucking smell his damn strange cologne. It smelt nice and you wanted to just surround yourself with his strange smell, but this wasn't the time to be thinking about what you wanted. He's going to kiss you and you're not mentally prepared. Was the atmosphere even  _kissable?!_ Did you not notice it? You shut your eyes, bracing yourself for it. Yes, you did want to kiss the android, but you haven't kissed anyone in years, at least not willingly. How do you even kiss someone? You fucking forgot how to kiss. You're not prepared. 

"What the fuck is happening here?!"

The two of you froze.

Hank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait, i had graduation and it was hectic for a few days with university and exams and shit. thanks for your support! love you all!


	12. what a lovely night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oliver wants a complete family and he decides it's his turn to take action.

You were eating dinner with your father and your son and Connor was long gone— chased out by your  _chivalrous_ father— leaving the three of you in a tense silence. Oliver was exempted actually, Oliver couldn't read the mood nor did he really care, he was too busy stuffing his face with garlic bread to even notice that his grandfather and mother were fighting in their heads. You sat across from Hank, you poked at your pasta, not really feeling the _mood_ for eating. Hank, on the other hand, was stuffing his face with food in anger, what a childish old man, it was kind of funny, but you couldn't bring yourself to laugh. 

You decided that you would just _try_ to put up with your fathers pouting and mumbles, keyword,  _try._

You started to become annoyed every time he would angrily, and very loudly, hit his fork against his plate, and he did it so frequently that Oliver was tapping his finger against his glass of water in rhythm. After a few more angry clinks between his fork and plate, you dropped your own fork against your plate and leaned back, "Are you trying to break the plate?"

He just scoffed and continued to hit the plate, but this time he did it even louder just to annoy you. You rolled your eyes and Oliver hesitantly looked at you before continuing it make  _music_ with your father. You huffed, "Dad, can we please just talk?"

He looked up from his plate, his frown not leaving his face.

You let out a sigh, "I... I understand that you're upset—!"

"Upset? I'm not just upset." He gritted his teeth, "My own daughter was going to suck faces with _that_ plastic asshole!"

" _That plastic asshole_ saved your life once, Dad." You frowned, "Call him by his name. Connor."

"I wike Cahnnor." Oliver exclaimed with a full mouth. 

You got up to give Oliver some more water, Hank ignored his grandson's rather  _unpleasant_ declaration of admiration for the android, "Just 'cause he saved my life once or twice doesn't mean he gets to suck your damn face off!"

"He was not going to suck my face off!" You slammed Oliver's cup on the table and Oliver froze up. His eyes widened and he looked to you and over to Hank, his eyes moved back and forth, his mother was scary when she got angry, which she rarely ever did, but when she did, it was like having a standoff with a momma grizzly bear trying to protect her cubs. You kissed Oliver on the top of the head, quickly apologizing him for startling him, "Sorry, baby. Keep eating."

He didn't need to be told twice. 

He has just discovered the wonders of garlic bread, he's not going to stop until he starts puking it out from overeating. 

You sat back down in your chair, leaning back as you and your father stared at each other. You took a moment to calm yourself down before leaning forward with a sympathetic look on your face, "I'm sorry that you had to figure it out this way, Dad. But I'm... I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself."

"That isn't the problem here, (Name)."

"I know, I know." You sighed, "But... You don't think Connor would ever hurt me, do you?"

He didn't respond, he leaned back against his own chair, let go of his fork and crossed his arms over his chest. You did have a point, Hank has been working with Connor for a while and he has to admit, Connor is a good kid. He can see the android trying his best at his work and Hank has a feeling that something is changing with the android. Back at the tower, when they were investigating, he looked troubled and despite asking, he knew Connor was hiding stuff from him. Hank knew something was wrong the second Connor was just staring at the deviant on the big screen. And on the roof, when he pointed out that there was a remaining parachute and Connor replied with something on lines of, "Unless one of them got left behind."

Hank didn't miss that little observation. There was blue blood on the roof and Connor seemed to glance at it once before leaving it be. If there was a deviant on that roof that got left behind, Connor purposefully let 'em be, he let them go.

"Connor... He just didn't understand what he was doing back there." You smiled softly, "He was just trying to make me feel better, but he misread information he saw online."

Oliver tilted his head, he started picking that habit up from Connor, "What was he doing, mommy?"

"Nothing, Ollie." You replied, "I'll tell you when you're older."

The boy huffed.

"Some misunderstanding." Hank scoffed.

"Dad." You frowned, "You know the guy. He can be... very clueless."

"You would think they would have programmed him a little better. Some  _prototype_ he is."

"Dad."

"Was Connor going to kiss you, mommy?" 

"Eat, Oliver." You smiled at him.

The boy turned to Hank, "Why can't he kiss mommy? Doesn't he love mommy?"

Hank was choking on his food and you gasped, "Dad!"

You scrambled out of your chair and grabbed your father a glass of water as he pounding on his chest. When you handed him his water he was clearing his throat, he let out a hoarse thank you as he chugged down the water. You sat back down in your seat and saw Oliver just giggling, "Ollie, you're going to kill your grandpa if you keep saying stuff like that."

"It's true!" Oliver cried out in his defence, "I saw you and Connor, mommy! Connor said he wanted to  _date you_." 

You furrowed your brows. Oliver saw you? 

"Mrs Kirkland told me that people who date are in love!" Oliver huffed, "I was just asking a  _valid question._ "

"Valid? Where are you learning these big words?" You ruffled his hair.

"Connor."

Hank huffed, "There won't be any love crap in my household."

"Love crap!" Oliver repeated enthusiastically. He was learning so many new words from Connor and Hank.

"Dad, stop it! Oliver is learning!" You snapped.

"Crap isn't a bad word." Hank snapped back.

"It's another word for shit!" Oliver added.

"Dad!"

* * *

You tucked Oliver in for the night. You laid next to him, running your hands through his soft darkly coloured hair as you hummed the soft tune of a song that your father used to listen to when you were a baby. It was a really old song, made in 1976, a very long time ago—  _[Carry on Wayward Son](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X_2IdybTV0) by Kansas._

You sang it by memory, or at least what you can remember, you sang it much slower and in a softer tune. Oliver really liked listening to you hum it, it was nearly the only thing you had left of your home when Elias kept you from going anywhere or seeing anyone. It comforted both you and Oliver, Oliver by knowing that you were near him and you by reminiscing about your childhood. 

It was on nights like these that always kept you awake and thinking. Elias haunts you, but despite being haunted, you try your best to be the mother that Oliver deserves. Oliver deserves so much more than what you can already give him. Oliver should be going to school and playing with his friends, Oliver should be able to visit his friends without having to look over his shoulder. He should have a mother that can go a day without letting her fears consume her, you're supposed to be mentally, emotionally and physically stronger than Oliver, but you're not. Oliver is stronger than you in more ways than one. 

You frowned to yourself, god, you just want to put your life back together.

As you thought about everything, you didn't notice Oliver stirring awake. You thought he was asleep, but the boy suddenly opened his eyes, you were a little startled from it. His gorgeous blue eyes shimmered in the dark. His eyes were much brighter than your father's blue eyes... and much kinder than Elias'. He stared at you before he scooted closer to you and hugged you tightly, "Don't cry, mommy."

You laughed weakly, "I'm... I'm not crying, baby."

But you were.

Oh by gods you were.

You quickly wiped away your tears, you sniffled and tried to calm yourself down. When you turned back to Oliver he was just staring at you, staring at you more than he usually did before, he must have picked that up from Connor as well. You pinched his cheeks, "I'm okay, baby. I am."

He didn't try to argue or push you any further. Oliver simply moved in closer and snuggled himself against your chest and you wrapped your own arms around his smaller frame. 

On nights like these, you would be awake 'till morning, but with your son safe in your arms, you slept peacefully for once. 

You woke up again around three in the morning. 

You woke up to Oliver quietly calling out for you and shaking you awake. You were dazed for a moment, touching around where Oliver should be lying, but when you found he wasn't there and his voice was coming from behind you, you turned around and reached for the lamp on the bedside table. When the light flickered on you found Oliver standing by the edge of the bed, he had his left arm on your right shoulder and his right hand was holding someone else's hand. Your eyes widened.

Connor.

He was standing next to Oliver, holding his hand and when Oliver noticed that you were fully awake he beamed, "Hi, mommy!"

You blinked a few times, a little speechless, "U-Um, Ollie what is Connor doing here?"

"Connor never left!" Oliver exclaimed.

"Pardon?" You furrowed your brows.

"You were sad so I called Connor and Connor said he was just waiting outside so I let him in!" He explained and when you looked up to Connor he just smiled softly, "I didn't break a window this time."

You glanced down and found Connor in his socks. 

Huh?

Oliver let go of Connor's hand and climbed onto the bed, he climbed over you and you let out a playful oof as he moved. When he sat on your left, he was pressed up against the wall and he tugged on your arm to scoot closer to him. You let out a hushed confused giggle as you scooted closer to him. When he was satisfied with your move, he then looked over at Connor and gestured for him to take the place of the empty space beside you. 

Neither of you moved.

You looked over to Oliver, "Honey... What are doing?"

"Mommy is calmer with Connor around." He looked over to you innocently, "So..."

"Oh, Ollie..." You whispered.

You reached over and pulled him into your arms, you gave him a squeeze and when you pulled you, you were going to turn over to Connor, you were going to tell him that he didn't need to join you two, you were going to tell him that you would fix something up for him in the living room again, but you were left speechless when you turned around. You saw Connor removing his jacket and neatly folding it and placed it on the dresser. He loosened his tie and uncuffed his sleeves. He lifted his eyes from his sleeve and stared at you, he didn't say anything, but you can tell just by the way he was looking at you, he was asking if it was okay for you.

You swallowed nervously, you glanced over to Oliver and he looked at you with his bright and hopeful blue eyes. You smiled softly at him, you then turned back to Connor and softly patted the space next to you, "You heard the man, Connor."

He smiled and he climbed into bed next to you. You turned your back on him, and you were almost giddy when you felt the bed dip behind you. You were nervous, but if he was just going to lie next to you then it was going to be fine, you were going to be okay. You were ready to close your eyes and hopefully get some sleep, but then Oliver peaked from over your form again and he leaned over you.

"You have to hold mommy." Oliver stated firmly as he took Connor's right arm and made him lie on his side. He moved Connor's hand over to your waist and when Oliver let go, Connor's hand was hovering over you, just a few centimetres from your body. You were feeling a little hot now. You were blinking almost every time you moved your eyes, your eyes darting from place to place. You almost jumped when you felt his breath against your bare neck, "Can I?"

You awkwardly cleared your throat, "U-Uh, yeah."

With your consent given, he placed his hand on your waist, he was lying an arms-length away and Oliver wasn't happy with that. He huffed, "You need to move closer!"

Connor obeyed, he scooted closer to you.

"Closer!"

You love Oliver, you really do, but you swear he has lost his mind. If your father sees this, it would be the last fucking straw. Hank won't just kick Connor out of the house while yelling every curse word in the book, Hank will literally  _kill_ him and he won't give a crap if he's going to have to file a report on the damages.

As you began to think of all the possibilities of what Hank would do to Connor, you didn't notice him scooting closer and closer to you, right until he was pressed up against your back and his arm was draped over you and Oliver. You only realized how close he was when you were adjusting your position and your back was melted against his form. You tensed and sucked in a breath, you cursed in your mind, _"Holy shit..."_

Oliver seemed content with it all, he sunk back into the bed, pulled the covers up and snuggled close to your chest. You heard Connor shuffle behind you, his warmth left you for a second and when it did, the lights turned off and he was back on you almost instantly.

The two of you were silent, how the hell were you supposed to sleep now?

You swallowed nervously, letting your nerves get the best of you, you can never get a break, can you?

When you heard Oliver's soft snoring, Connor spoke, "I'm sorry for trying to... kiss you."

"No, Connor..." You trailed off, choosing your words carefully, "I thought... I thought it was sweet, but maybe... maybe we can wait a little more before we do that."

Connor nodded, "Understood. I will wait for a more appropriate time... perhaps when you're ready."

You bit your lip at that, trying to bite back that giddy smile, "Thanks Connor."

Silence. 

Oliver was softly snoring in front of you and Connor was softly breathing against your neck. You noticed how  _melted_ you were against him. He as perfectly placed against your back, spooning you in the most delicate and appropriate way. He kept his arm on your waist, he didn't move it up or shift it down, he kept it right where you would be comfortable with. He was quiet for a moment before speaking up, "Hank was rather hostile with me when he kicked me out of the house."

"He threatened you with a lamp." You replied.

He chuckled lowly, "Just like you did when we first met."

You let out a short burst of laughter, "I guess I really am his daughter."

You smiled softly to yourself, your hands running through Oliver's hair, this felt unreal. You were actually lying in bed like a family. 

A _real_ family. 

Curiosity got the better of you as you asked, "Were you really waiting outside?"

"Yes."

"Connor!" You gasped, "You were waiting for six hours?!"

"... Yes."

"Why?" You glanced over your shoulder a little.

He was quiet for a moment before saying, "I... It didn't feel right to just walk away. I was originally planning to wait for Hank to fall asleep before breaking into the house again—!"

"That's a crime, Connor."

"An  _appropriate crime_." He argued before continuing, "I wanted to make sure he was sleeping before I break through that same window again, but Oliver called me in before I could do anything...  _illegal._ "

You laughed, "You're crazy."

He hummed, "Maybe, but I had a mission, and it was to get back inside the house... and I just accomplished my mission... and I got more out of it."

You smiled to yourself, finding yourself leaning back against him, "You should know that I don't sleep that much."

"It's alright, I don't sleep at all."

"Well then..." You let out a soft sigh, "It's gonna be a long night."

"Shall I entertain you?" He suggested.

You raised a brow, "Entertain how?"

He thought for a moment, "How about we talk about your dreams."

"My dreams?" Your mood dropped a tad bit, "They're... They're pretty bad dreams. I don't think—!"

"Not  _those dreams._ I mean your dreams for the future." He corrected himself, "I've read that talking about your dreams in life is an effective use of conversation."

"Dreams for the future..." You trailed off, "I guess I just want Oliver to have a good life."

"That doesn't seem right." Connor frowned.

You furrowed your brows, "Excuse me?"

"Why would you dream of something that you've already accomplished?"

Your heart skipped a beat. 

This fucking android.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to everyone who congratulated me :) you should know that i'm thrilled that you guys enjoy this story so much. thank you all again from the bottom of my heart for loving this story. and yes, i am also supernatural trash.


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